Teacher Leaders’ Co-Creation of a PLC Space for Social Justice Mathematics (Poster 12)

• In Event: Research on STEM Professional Learning Communities: Attending to Teacher Learning, Agency, and Equity

Abstract

Objectives/purposes
Teachers are showing increased interest in teaching mathematics for social justice (TMSJ) (e.g., Suh et al., 2023) or social justice mathematics (SJM) (e.g., Author, 2019). TMSJ and SJM aim for students to use dominant mathematics to investigate social injustices to take action toward justice (Gutstein, 2006). Research has investigated teacher learning of SJM (e.g., Harper et al.,
2021) and student perspectives (e.g., Pinheiro & Chávez, 2023), but research is needed to investigate how teacher leaders support teachers’ SJM work. While some have studied teacher learning of SJM in professional learning communities (PLCs) (e.g., Rubel, 2017), these PLCs did not include teacher leaders whose vision greatly influence the PLC. This study aims to address this gap by exploring our work with a virtual PLC focused on SJM with 12 mathematics teachers and three mathematics teacher leaders, across the United States. We (one researcher, three mathematics teacher leaders, and one mathematics teacher) investigate the following research questions: 1) What goals do math teacher leaders have when supporting teachers to adapt SJM tasks? 2) How do teacher leaders and teachers co-create and experience the PLC space?


Perspectives/theoretical framework
This study builds on principles of mathematics instructional coaching (e.g., Bengo, 2016), critical professional development (e.g., Picower, 2015), and justice-oriented mathematics teacher coaching (Marshall & Buenrostro, 2021). We primarily draw on justice-centered mathematics teacher leadership, which refers to teacher leaders who a) have facility with justice-oriented pedagogies, or SJM in this case, b) support colleagues’ use of such pedagogies, c) solicit stakeholders’ perspectives to promote civic participation, and d) organize toward justice inside and outside the classroom (Author, 2024).

Methods/Data sources
This qualitative study uses narrative inquiry (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990) to analyze interview data, focus group data collected during PLC and teacher leader meetings, and personal and collective reflections. We focus on data collected from January to June 2024, which included six two-hour PLC meetings with teachers and 12 planning/reflection meetings with teacher leaders and the researcher, conducted via Zoom. Our team consists of three women of Color, one man of Color, and one white woman teacher leader.

Results
Findings suggest that the math teacher leaders aimed to demystify the process of adapting and using SJM tasks. One teacher leader explained, “SJM isn’t that fancy dress that only a few people can wear. It’s like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; it’s for everybody.” They emphasized the importance of maintaining “rigor” or the cognitive demand of the dominant mathematics when using SJM. They also worked to support teachers to learn more about the social issues and avoid pitfalls, such as stereotyping groups of people. Teacher leaders and teachers expressed that the PLC felt different than other PLCs because the group intended to explicitly address systemic oppression and for this reason the group drew together like-minded educators. They also reflected that the PLC space centered their needs and desires.


Significance
This study contributes to the field by focusing on justice-centered mathematics teacher leadership and how teacher leaders support teachers’ work with SJM.

Authors

• Kari Kokka, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Michelle Cody, Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School

• Taica Hsu, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District

• Mandy Decker, University of Nevada - Las Vegas