Designing and Studying Teaching to Advance Equity and Foster Students’ Mathematical Identity

• In Event: Approaches to Fostering Young People’s Mathematical Identities: Theory, Design, and Student Uptake

Abstract

The Elementary Math Lab's summer mathematics program is a design and research project aimed at fostering mathematical flourishing among rising fifth graders. Designed and taught by two mathematics education researchers and experienced elementary mathematics teachers, the program's primary objective is to create a learning environment that fosters positive identification and highlights the brilliance of Black and Brown students. By engaging students in challenging math problems and promoting collective idea development, we aim to enhance their sense of agency and competence, thereby disrupting normative patterns that lead children of color to disidentify with math or adopt distorted views of what it means to be "good at math."
Grounded in a situative framework (Greeno & MMAP, 1998; Lave & Wenger, 1991), the program emphasizes the importance of collective work in learning mathematics. Multiple structures cultivate positive mathematical identity and belonging, including “notes to self” and unconventional homework focused on perseverance and noticing. Mathematics is represented as a human and social activity centered on the collective construction of knowledge. The mathematics problems are designed to broaden children’s views of what constitutes mathematics and mathematical thinking, incorporating various solution spaces (e.g., impossibility proofs). Intervening on racialized and gendered status hierarchies that pervade society through acknowledging competence (Lotan & Holthuis, 2021) is a key element of the instruction.
Our research focuses on understanding the work of teaching to create this environment and how students’ mathematical identities develop within it. Like others who study learning and identity from a situative perspective we understand mathematics identity as one’s sense of self in relation to mathematics and engagement in mathematical activities (Hand & Gresalfi, 2015). This identity develops through participation in mathematical contexts and is shaped by the intersection of available opportunities and personal resources (Boaler & Greeno, 2000; Cobb, et. al, 2009, Gresalfi, 2009; Hand, 2010; Martin, 2000). Thus, mathematics identity is continuously constructed through interactions within these contexts.
We employ a first-person approach to investigate teaching that supports the development of mathematical identities (Author). Using classroom observational data and systematic reflection, we analyze how our interactions influence students' participation trajectories throughout the program. Data collection is comprehensive, encompassing video recordings of class sessions, high-quality audio of student interactions, and written materials, including individual math notebooks and public records of class work. Students' independent work and end-of-class reflections provide insights into their processes and self-perceptions. Detailed lesson plans and daily reflections from teachers reveal the pedagogical reasoning behind their interactions.
Analyses focus on how students engage with class experiences, their evolving sense of competence, contributions to class ideas, and use of space. Preliminary analyses indicate that students develop stronger mathematical identities and increased competence through program participation. Evidence of this growth includes documented interactions that showcase significant advancements in articulating mathematical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. Changes in participation—such as presenting at the board and "teaching" family members—further illustrate this development. However, challenges remain in assessing the depth of students' experiences and learning outcomes, particularly in determining the extent to which results are context-dependent versus reflecting an enduring shift in students’ sense of self in relation to mathematics.

Authors

• Darrius D. Robinson, University of Michigan

• Deborah Loewenberg Ball, University of Michigan

• Victoria Pérez Nifoussi, University of Michigan