Leveraging Justification as a Mathematical Practice to Facilitate Students’ Agency and Cultivate Positive Mathematical Identity

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 12:40 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Studies of Instructional Practices in Mathematics (Table 2)

Abstract

Teacher practice plays an important role in advancing equitable experiences and outcomes for students. This study examines how one fourth-grade teacher facilitates regular opportunities for students to engage in the mathematical practice of justification in ways that advance her goals for equity. The study is situated within an urban school comprising a diverse group of students, taught by a female teacher of color. This study applies case study methodology to understand and amplify the practices and goals of the teacher to explore how she leverages the practice of mathematical justification in critical ways to center students’ voices and ideas, facilitate their agency, and promote positive mathematical identity.

Author

• Kristin Giorgio, Michigan State University