Contextualize to Learn: Preparing Faculty Toward Math Contextualization for Student Success in Advanced Technological Education

• In Event: Faculty Development to Obtain Student Success: Learning Across National Science Foundation Grant Projects

Abstract

Contextualize to Learn, funded by the National Science Foundation (2017-2020), is rooted in a partnership of faculty and institutional researchers at 2-year colleges and University researchers. Drawing upon a mixed-methods design, the project investigates faculty engagement with and professional development around math contextualization, and the resulting impact of contextualization on students in advanced technological (ATE) fields. Although math contextualization has gained substantial traction among many ATE educators, two critical areas need to be addressed through systematic empirical research. First, how to engage, support, and develop faculty across departments and programs in adopting contextualization. Despite the practical knowledge about contextualization, ATE faculty adoption of contextualization is not widespread and can concentrate within individual programs. While faculty development on contextualization is not uncommon (Baker, Hope, & Karandjeff, 2009), what happens after the PD activities as faculty return to their routine teaching duties remains unclear (Condon, Iverson, Manduca, Rutz, & Willett, 2016; Darting et al., 2016). Second, research on whether, why, and how faculty apply contextualization can reveal a complex set of supports and barriers to shaping the way in which they engage with the idea and application of contextualization. Informed by the community of practice framework (Wenger, 2011), the project aims to generate insights toward stronger faculty engagement with and adoption of high-impact teaching practices such as math contextualization, removing silos, and building more concerted efforts to contextualize math offerings for ATE students. Specifically, the research explores two questions on faculty: How do faculty engage with and make sense of professional development activities as part of a community of practice around math contextualization? How do faculty in the community of practice apply contextualization in teaching math? To address these questions, the project team collects and analyzes longitudinal interview data and conducts a social network analysis of classroom observations.
The project will contribute systematic, empirical evidence to the ATE research and practical fields around faculty development and student outcomes as related to math contextualization. In addition, the research will tackle a critical missing link in the literature by contributing empirical evidence on how faculty development translates into not only teaching practices, but also the learning and success of their ATE students. By involving 2-year colleges’ faculty across ATE programs and math departments as well as institutional researchers, this project will generate broad implications of empirical and practical significance for building a strong, collaborative faculty and institutions’ research capacity to support ATE student success in math and beyond.
During the symposium, the PI will share findings from the first wave of faculty interviews that focus on faculty participants’ overall reactions to and experiences with PD workshops, areas they see needing assistance to develop knowledge and skills around math contextualization and teaching, as well as any initial plans for contextualizing math courses and expectations for their Communities. Lessons learned from the initial phase of project implementation, especially around facilitating cross-departmental, disciplinary, and institutional communication and collaboration, as well as reconciling differences among a wide range of stakeholders toward accomplishing a common goal will be reviewed.

Author

• Xueli Wang, University of Wisconsin - Madison