Embedding Language Support in Developmental Mathematics Lessons

Abstract

Three community college faculty members used improvement science techniques to design, develop, and refine contextualized developmental mathematics lessons, where language and literacy pedagogy and related supports figured prominently in these instructional materials. This article reports on the role that their design experiences played in professional learning. The article uses a model of professional learning developed by Clarke and Hollingsworth (2002) as the lens to describe and analyze their experiences. Results indicated theoretically noteworthy variation among the faculty. The results highlight a strong connection between faculty willingness to experiment, during trial enactment of these lessons, in their classrooms and faculty growth in knowledge and belief structures about the importance of language and literacy to mathematics teaching and learning. Implications for design-based development, as an important ongoing professional development activity for mathematics instructors, are discussed.

The Pedagogical Leadership of the Mathematics Faculty: A Systematic Review

“…Some of these studies highlighted the implementation of leadership in schools, collaboration, or the creation of a climate of trust [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Other have carried out specific training programs to improve teaching [18][19][20][21][22]. Some have focused on the analysis of the figure of teachers based on educational policies and reforms promoted by the state [23,24].…”

“…In order to counteract these results, the authors in the article demanded a greater endowment of significant resources to support management learning. Gómez et al [19] opted for the use of innovative tools and methodologies as a way to grant greater professionalism to teachers. To this end, they subscribed to the professional learning model developed by [26], since in their opinion, it provided them with a reliable environment in which to analyze the experiences and narratives elaborated by the participants.…”

Assessing the First Two Years’ Effectiveness of Statway®

“…Third, this system also integrates two types of research-based supports for students. One pertains to social-psychological factors of student learning (productive persistence) to sustain students’ engagement and persistence (Dweck et al, 2011; Jamieson et al, 2010; Walton & Cohen, 2011; Yeager & Walton, 2011), and the other addresses language and literacy barriers to make leaning accessible to students (Gomez et al, 2015; Gomez et al, 2013). Fourth, Statway provides faculty with a rich set of opportunities for professional development to advance the quality of their teaching of Statway and quite possibly beyond as well (Edwards et al, 2015; Grubb, 1999; Grubb & Gabriner, 2013).…”

“…Fourth, efforts are also made to reduce language and literacy barriers that can hinder student learning of mathematics, led by Gomez and her colleagues (Gomez et al, 2015; Gomez et al, 2013). Language and literacy supports for students are interwoven in instructional materials and classroom activities so that learning is accessible to all.…”

How Teachers’ Professional Development was Examined in Turkey?

“…Alanyazında da öğretmen öğrenmesini desteklemek amacıyla çeşitli yollara başvurulduğu ve birbirinden farklı öğrenme süreçlerinin tasarlandığı dikkati çekmektedir. Örneğin, önceleri öğretmenlerin öğrenmesini desteklemek için kurslar, konferanslar, hizmet içi eğitimler tasarlanırken (Macià ve García, 2016;Mitchell, 2013); daha sonra işbirlikli ve yansıtıcı düşünmeye olanak tanıyan öğrenme ortamları, duruma ve bağlama özgü değişkenler uygulama süreçlerinde ön plana çıkmıştır (Desimone, 2011;Edwards, Sandoval ve McNamara, 2015;Gomez, Gomez, Rodela, Horton, Cunningham, & Ambrocio, 2015;Wang, 2018). Postholm'a (2012) göre öğretmen öğrenmesini okulda çeşitli kurslara katılma, kendi öğretimleri üzerine düşünme ve meslektaşları ile işbirliği içinde olma, başkalarının öğretimini gözlemleme ve söz konusu öğretim süreçleri üzerine düşünme aracılığı ile sağlamak olanaklıdır.…”