How Early-Career Elementary Teachers' Social Networks Affect Ambitious Mathematics Instruction

• In Event: 54.072 - The Role of Teachers' Social Networks in the Development of Ambitious Mathematics Instruction

Abstract

Objective. This paper examines how early career elementary teachers’ school-based social networks affect their enactment of ambitious mathematics instruction in the context of new state mathematics curricular standards.
Theoretical Framework. Many early career teachers (ECTs) initially acquire mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and develop math instructional practices during pre-service preparation. But since MKT also includes knowledge of mathematics as it is taught in schools to learners from particular backgrounds and using prescribed curricular materials, ECTs must continue to refine their MKT and instructional practices after they become teachers of record. The theoretical framework underlying this study posits that ECTs can access MKT in their schools through their formal social networks (i.e., mentors, mathematics instructional coaches) and their informal social networks (teacher colleagues).
This is consistent with findings that certain types of mentoring, collaboration with colleagues, and instructional coaching are associated with effective instruction (Coburn & Russell, 2008; Glazerman et al., 2010; Stanulis & Floden, 2009; Youngs, Frank, & Pogodzinski, 2012). Further, social network members may provide knowledge and support in exchange for compliance with school norms of teaching. Thus, our framework contends that ECTs’ enactment of ambitious mathematics instruction can be affected by the math instructional practices and expectations (i.e., instructional norms) of their mentors, colleagues, and instructional coaches.
Data Sources and Methods. In 2015-16, we collected classroom observation and survey data from 100 teachers in grades K-5 who were in their first four years of teaching. We used the Teaching for Robust Understanding in Mathematics (TRU Math) classroom observation instrument (Schoenfeld, Floden et al., 2014) to observe each ECT four times; in addition, each ECT completed two surveys about their access to resources from formal mentors and other teacher colleagues and a survey about their MKT in number and operations. We also administered surveys to the mentors, colleagues, and instructional coaches who worked with the ECTs to learn about their practices, expectations, and MKT levels. We used multivariate regression and hierarchical linear models to study ECTs’ enactment of ambitious mathematics instruction as a function of several independent variables, including those representing social network effects.
Findings. Our findings indicate that ECTs’ own MKT levels influenced their enactment of ambitious mathematics instruction that was consistent with state math standards. In addition, when ECTs’ social network members exhibited high levels of MKT and regularly enacted ambitious mathematics instruction aligned with state math standards themselves, interactions between ECTs and their network members were more likely to lead to knowledge sharing and to ECTs’ enactment of ambitious mathematics instruction.
Significance. This study is significant for three reasons. First, it integrates a cognitive component (focused on teachers’ knowledge) and a sociological component (focused on norms in their social context) in order to explicate factors that influence early career teachers’ mathematics instruction. Second, our study used social network analysis to explore the effects of access to knowledge and instructional norms on ECTs’ mathematics teaching. Third, our findings have key implications for how schools and districts organize professional development for ECTs and those who work with them.

Authors

• Kenneth A. Frank, Michigan State University

• Kristen Bieda, Michigan State University

• Serena Jean Salloum, Ball State University

• Peter A. Youngs, University of Virginia