Teachers’ Perspectives: How an Equity-Focused Classroom Observation Instrument Supports Shifts Toward More Equitable Teaching

• In Event: Users and Uses: Multiple Perspectives on a Mathematics Education Classroom Observation Instrument

Abstract

Purpose
How teachers conceptualize equitable instruction may influence their practice and their engagement with improvement efforts. This paper seeks to understand how teachers’ conceptualizations of equitable mathematics instruction shifted in the context of a coaching intervention that leveraged AR rubrics and how teachers perceived AR as supporting their teaching. We ask: 1) How do teachers’ describe equitable mathematics instruction? 2) In what ways do shifts in teachers’ descriptions relate to their experiences with AR rubrics?

Perspectives
While mathematics teachers may strive to support all learners, classrooms with high percentages of historically marginalized students often feature practices that undermine equity goals (e.g, less ambitious teaching or rigor) or underestimate students’ mathematical abilities (Copur-Gencturk et al., 2020; Diamond et al., 2004; Jackson et al., 2017; Wilhelm et al., 2017). Teachers who prioritize equity in access or achievement may be less focused on affirming students' mathematical or cultural identities (Gutierrez, 2012). Instructional coaching grounded in equity-focused teaching practices (Authors, 2019) can support teachers to broaden their understanding of equitable mathematics teaching and translate that understanding into specific practices.

Data and Methods
Data comes from 4th-8th grade teachers (n=37) from two large, urban districts who participated in a larger study of a coaching model centering AR rubrics. Teachers were surveyed and interviewed at the beginning and end of the school year. Surveys and interviews asked about teachers’ experiences with AR coaching and the AR rubrics. In fall interviews, teachers were asked to describe their vision for equitable math instruction and in spring, were asked if they wished to add to or change their prior response. We coded interview responses using both inductive and deductive codes, generating themes. We descriptively analyzed spring survey responses, focusing on questions that addressed teachers’ experiences with AR coaching.

Findings
Teachers’ initial descriptions of equitable teaching drew primarily on access and achievement. After AR coaching, teachers agreed with their initial visions, but added an emphasis on students’ mathematical authority and independence, mirroring the foci of two AR rubrics. Teachers highlighted how AR supported them to trust their students’ mathematical competence. The majority of teachers surveyed (81%) reported AR helped them improve their instruction either very much or to a great extent. Specifically, teachers highlighted analyzing video using AR as impactful. While 70% of teachers reported frequently thinking about AR during in-the-moment instructional decisions, fewer (48%) considered AR while planning lessons. In interviews, teachers identified elements of AR rubrics (e.g., creating opportunities for students to work productively together, pushing the learning back onto students, supporting students to rely on resources other than the teacher) as supporting students’ engagement and success and fostering positive teacher-student interactions.

Significance
Mathematics education researchers have begun to use classroom observation instruments with teachers through professional learning. It is important to consider teachers’ perspectives on how and in what ways these tools support instructional growth. The findings from this study show how engaging with AR supported shifts in both teachers’ visions of equitable instruction as well as their classroom practice.

Authors

• Erica Litke, University of Delaware

• Miriam Simone Leshin, University of Virginia

• Jonee Wilson, University of Virginia

• Micaela Y. Harris, University of Virginia

• Destini N. Braxton, University of Virginia

• Jasmine Truong, University of Virginia