Study aims to help teachers master math instruction

A University of Florida education researcher is exploring ways to help elementary school teachers lead their mathematic classes as effectively as they do the other subjects they teach their young children

Thomasenia Adams, an associate professor who heads the mathematics education program at the UF College of Education, says mastering mathematics can be a challenge considering the limited preparation that elementary school teachers-in-training typically receive in that field of study.

Adams is principal investigator of a new $160,000 grant awarded to the College of Education to develop professional development experiences that help practicing teachers increase their mathematical knowledge and ultimately, help students improve their mathematics skills.

The UF study, known as “Project TALL Math: Teachers as Learners Learning Mathematics,” is part of the Multi-University Reading, Math and Science Initiative (MURMSI), a $1.5 million research program funded by the federal Department of Education and coordinated through Florida State University.

Adams’ co-researchers include UF education graduate students Emily Perterik, Kristin Spencer, Fatma Aslan-Tutak and Joanne LaFramenta, who is also a National Board Certified Teacher.

“With mathematics content instruction decreasing in teacher preparation programs, students’ math achievement levels are bound to be affected,” said Adams, who is also the director of graduate studies for the college. “I saw a need to help teachers, especially at the elementary level, to become better prepared mathematically and to think about teaching mathematics in non-traditional ways.”

The researchers are assessing not only professional development for teachers, but also its impact on student achievement –a step Adams said is often lacking in typical professional development programs.

She said more innovative professional development opportunities can help teachers improve their mathematics knowledge. Professional development programs should include exploring different teaching methods and ways to represent mathematical ideas for students with different learning styles and strengths, she said.

The project will be conducted this school year at two Gainesville elementary schools (yet to be confirmed) with a high percentage of students at risk of low mathematics achievement. It received initial support from the Lastinger Center for Learning, a College of Education school-improvement program for high-poverty elementary schools in Florida, and from the School Board of Alachua County.

The researchers will obtain feedback from participating teachers before and after their professional development experiences through surveys, math assessments, lesson plan analyses, interviews and classroom observations. They will also collect and evaluate FCAT results and special math assessment test scores from the students before and after their teachers’ professional development experiences.

Adams said she hopes this new approach to professional development will help teachers truly know the mathematics content they are teaching children and understand that math can be understood by all children at some level.

“Mathematics is the primary language of communication in today’s technological and global society, from the creation of computer passwords and business program languages to programs for lifting the space shuttle off the ground,” Adams said. “Perhaps we should think of it as the fourth element because it affects how we interact with the world we live in –earth, wind, fire…and mathematics.”

Adams plans to disseminate the research results nationally and statewide through various professional organizations and their publications, so teachers throughout Florida have access to the study findings and suggestions for improving their math knowledge.

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Writer
Chan Tran, ctran@ufl.edu, (352) 392-0726, ext. 246