Microlearning Mathematics Modules Designed to Facilitate Preservice Elementary Teacher Practices Regarding Equity and Responsive Mathematics Instruction

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington KY

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR), this project aims to serve the national interest by developing preservice elementary teachers' capacity to teach mathematics. This project will design eight microlearning modules to help preservice teachers develop skills in equitable teaching practices and professional noticing. Professional noticing is the ability of the teacher to pay attention to student actions and to use this information to adjust teaching approaches to best help the student learn. Through the modules, the preservice teachers will use professional noticing to examine children's mathematical thinking regarding number and algebraic concepts. The project includes a well-developed research study to examine the impact of the microlearning modules on development of the preservice teachers' professional noticing and equitable teaching practices, and how these skills affect the preservice teachers' knowledge of and attitude toward mathematics. It is anticipated that this project will directly impact over 600 preservice teachers during the life of the project, and more as the instructional modules are widely disseminated for use by all teacher educators. The importance of this work resides in the potential to promote equitable and responsive instruction in elementary school mathematics classrooms. The modules will be implemented at five universities or colleges with undergraduate populations that are culturally and socioeconomically diverse and that include groups underrepresented in STEM fields. In addition, three institutions will provide comparison data. Collectively, the eight universities (implementation and comparison) draw their student populations from urban, suburban, and Appalachian rural populations. Project activities include: 1) the development and implementation of eight microlearning modules that focus on equitable teaching practices through the lens of professional noticing; 2) the creation of an assessment to measure the development of preservice teachers' noticing and equitable teaching practices; and 3) administration of the new assessment as well as established assessments for mathematical knowledge (TEDS-M) and attitudes and beliefs toward mathematics (MECS) pre- and post-instruction in which the microlearning modules are taught. The project has an extensive evaluation plan that builds upon the research plan by using open-ended questions of participant satisfaction and engagement with the microlearning modules from the preservice teachers and the teacher educators using the modules. The external evaluators intend to use a logic model approach to ensure implementation of program activities with fidelity, greater learning opportunities, and effective documentation of outcomes. Research results will be disseminated via presentations by the research team at education research conferences and the instructional modules will be available for dissemination via a web-based platform to ensure easy exchange with teacher educators beyond the scope of the project. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. This project is a Development and Implementation Level I project in the Engaged Student Learning Track. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, this program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program is providing co-funding for this project in recognition of its alignment with the broader teacher preparation goals of the Noyce effort. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.