Preparing Mathematics Teachers to Enact Engaging Discourse-based Teaching Strategies

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This Track 1 Noyce project seeks to address the national need for more highly qualified mathematics teachers with strong backgrounds in both math content and effective pedagogical methods. It aims to prepare 33 new middle and high school mathematics teachers to teach in high-need schools. The project is a collaboration of mathematics education faculty in the School of Education and mathematics faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences at Boston University (BU), and four high-need school districts (Boston, Chelsea, Malden, and Waltham). Research on mathematics teaching and learning supports the benefits of engaging students in mathematical discussions in the K-12 math classroom. This project will teach preservice mathematics teachers to use productive classroom discussions about math to improve students' attitudes toward and understanding of math. These skills can help teachers motivate students from linguistically and racially diverse low-income communities, well as communities that have suffered significant teacher attrition. This project will provide a model for recruiting, training, and retaining highly qualified STEM majors and professionals into teaching. This project has the following goals: (a)recruit 33 diverse and highly talented STEM majors and STEM professionals to teach secondary mathematics in high-need schools across the five years of the award; (b) prepare highly effective secondary mathematics teachers who are skilled in using discourse-based teaching strategies and implementing related curriculum materials; and (c) support the retention of highly talented secondary mathematics teachers who teach in high-need schools. Scholars will receive scholarships to enroll in a one-year graduate program that leads to a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree and initial licensure to teach secondary mathematics. As part of the MAT program, scholars will: (1) enroll in education courses that prepare them to teach in high-need districts; (2) enroll in mathematics courses that integrate content and pedagogy to develop teachers' use of high-leverage teaching practices; and (3) participate in field placements through existing partnerships with four high-need urban and suburban school districts that provide opportunities to connect their university learning to the classroom. As part of the Noyce Seminar Series, scholars will also participate in six professional development workshops that focus on developing their ability to enact rich mathematical lessons using discourse-based instructional strategies. Following the completion of the MAT program, scholars will begin their teaching careers with mentoring support from BU. During their two-year induction period, scholars will continue to attend the Noyce Seminar Series to further develop their discourse-based teaching practices and collaborate with other BU Noyce scholars. Data documenting the Scholars? career decisions and effectiveness as mathematics teachers in high-need schools will inform the NSF, researchers, teacher educators, and the public about the usefulness of focusing on mathematical discourse and curriculum during teacher preparation programs.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.