Infrastructure for Coaches to Assist Teacher Teams to Enact Math Talk for Equitable Participation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Centering Teachers in Systems Improvement

Abstract

We examine how district infrastructure can enable and constrain math specialists to facilitate productive collaborations among secondary math teams in the Intermountain West. We find that while existing infrastructure such as scheduled collaboration time, peer leadership, and curricular choice enable productive collaborations, math teachers also face structural and cultural barriers such as irregular meetings, lack of shared goals, evaluative coaching, and weak administrative support. Drawing on structure-agency theory, we find math coaches infrastructure innovations such as embedded co-teaching, peer-led lesson study, student feedback, and other reflective tools. These coaches emphasized voluntary participation, clear protocols, and flexible curricular pacing to sustain productive collaborations in their district. We conclude with implications for infrastructuring coaching for productive teacher collaborations in other settings.

Authors

• Bryant Jensen, Brigham Young University

• Brandon G. McMillan, Brigham Young University

• Shazia Akbar, Brigham Young University

• Xiaohang Zhang, Brigham Young University