Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Culturally Relevant Mathematics Tasks: Implications for Cognitive Demand and Cultural Connections

• In Event: Designing and Studying Innovations in Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

Effective culturally relevant teaching integrates cognitive demand with cultural connections (Matthew et al., 2022). This research examines elementary preservice teachers’ culturally relevant mathematics tasks using the Cognitive Demand and Cultural Connections (CDCC) framework. We analyzed 11 tasks designed by preservice teachers at two universities across two semesters, using a priori coding for CDCC framework categorization. Findings show most tasks at Level 2, indicating either high cognitive demand with low cultural connections or low cognitive demand with high cultural connections. Level 3 tasks primarily focused on kindergarten content, revealing that as content complexity increases, maintaining high cultural connections becomes challenging. Implications suggest ways to scaffold tasks with low cognitive demand or low cultural connections to enhance mathematical thinking and meaningful engagement.

Authors

• Alesia Mickle Moldavan, Georgia Southern University

• Dittika Gupta, Midwestern State University