Dissertation Proposal Announcement E.d.D. Program: Jamie Richardson “Pre-service Teacher Preparation for Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching (CRMT): A Case Study”
Students of color do not have the same opportunities to succeed in PK-12 mathematics classrooms as their peers (Boaler, 2015; DiME, 2007; Ladson-Billings, 1997). Several studies have examined why students of color receive less robust math instruction many highlight the impact of teacher expectations and perceptions of students (Battey & Leyva, 2016; Louie et al., 2021; Martin, 2009; Sebastian Cherng, 2017). Preliminary research suggests culturally relevant pedagogy can improve students’ opportunities and outcomes (Gay, 2009). This qualitative case study aims to examine the depth and application of experiences with CRMT of pre-service teaching students in the Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s five-year teaching programs for math certifications and endorsements. This study will explore how CRMT is incorporated into mathematics teaching coursework in the Rutgers GSE five-year teaching programs for math certifications and endorsements through artifact analysis, participant interviews, and focus groups. By examining how CRMT is incorporated into mathematical teaching coursework and in-field experiences for pre-service teachers in culturally diverse settings, this study can add to the growing body of research on CRMT effectiveness.
This study is guided by the following research questions: (1) To what extent do mathematics education courses at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education incorporate culturally responsive mathematical teaching practices? (2) How do the field experiences of Rutgers GSE students align with the practices taught in the mathematics education courses? (3) To what extent do Rutgers GSE students feel they will be able to use culturally responsive mathematical teaching practices in their future teaching careers? The findings from this study may suggest how CRMT can better be integrated into pre-service math education programs to prepare teachers to teach math to diverse learners successfully.