Reflecting on Complexity in Mathematics and Science Education Research Investigating Student Success

• In Event: K-12 Student Success: Complexity in Mathematics and Science Education Research

Abstract

Purposes
Connections between teacher professional development and K-12 student success are often assumed, but not systematically investigated. There is a large “black box” between teacher professional development and student success. More research is needed to understand relationships among factors inside this black box. The purpose of this presentation is to synthesize research being conducted by the Math Science Partnership (MSP) community to elucidate relationships between educational innovations and student success.

Perspectives
Comparing to other developed countries, there is concern the United States will not maintain competitiveness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (Paine & Schleicher, 2011). Various attempts are under way (e.g., STEM schools [NRC, 2011]), but are impeded by lack of understanding of what is needed to improve student success. Myriad factors impact student success. MSP projects are investigating small pieces of the landscape; syntheses are needed to inform the broader community.

Methods and Evidence
We investigated what MSPs are learning about connections between educational innovations and student success. MSPs all include partnerships between K-12 systems and higher education institutions, and require the significant involvement of STEM faculty. The theme of the MSP program’s annual conference in 2011 related to student success, and asked MSPs to consider how they define and investigate student success. We conducted a qualitative analysis of the presentation abstracts to determine how MSPs are studying student success.

Results
We learned there is a great deal of complexity in the landscape of research attempting to connect educational innovations to student success, including complex perspectives on innovations and success. Presentations in this symposium are representative of these categories.
● Complexity of study design: Research designs that attempt to study complexities must make decisions about what to study and how to learn about the impacts of interventions on student success.
● Complex professional development approaches: Innovative approaches to professional development can include organizing through principles that incorporate content, pedagogy, and leadership in coherent and complex ways.
● Complexities inherent in studying practice: Examining classroom practice provides opportunities to study student success as teaching and learning processes occur.
● Complex contexts: Contextual matters, such as children's beliefs and conditions in schools, also influence student success.
● Complexities in ownership of learning from the work: The lenses teachers bring to defining student success and studying their own practice can contribute toward understanding the ways in which student success is influenced by partnership efforts.

Scholarly Significance
The MSP community is having positive impact on student success in STEM disciplines (Yin, forthcoming). However, definitions of student success are much more complex and nuanced than narrower definitions based on achievement test scores used by No Child Left Behind. It requires sophisticated research designs to measure nuanced definitions of student success. K-12 and higher education institutions must continue to work together to increase student success and to document and evaluate their efforts. It is critically important for well-designed research studies to elucidate what occurs in the black box between teacher professional development and student success, so that the research can inform policy.

Author

• Wendy M. Smith, University of Nebraska - Lincoln