Collaborative Research: Leveraging Simulations in Preservice Preparation to Improve Mathematics Teaching for Students with Disabilities

准备通识教育教师来支持残疾学生的数学学习是至关重要的，因为残疾学生在数学成绩较低的阶层中所占比例过高。本项目旨在通过开发和使用混合现实模拟来解决小学数学教师准备背景下的这一需求。这些模拟为职前教师实践以研究为基础的教学策略以支持数学学习提供了低风险的机会，并从他们的实践中获得反馈。使用模拟的学习单元将侧重于两个高杠杆实践：教师在解决问题过程中对自我监控和反思策略的建模，以及使用策略指导来教学生支持解决问题。这些高杠杆的教学实践将支持教师让包括残疾学生在内的所有学生参与概念复杂的数学，在这些数学中，学生被视为意义创造者，并被授权以文化上有意义的方式进行数学运算。项目工作包括三个主要目标。第一个目标是围绕数学教育界和特殊教育界对高杠杆实践的共同定义达成共识。为实现这一目标，该项目将与数学教育和特殊教育专家召开一系列建立共识的小组会议，共同制定两种针对性高杠杆实践的共同定义。这项工作将包括参与当前的研究、小组讨论，以及制作带有实践规范的文档。第二个目标是为基于混合现实模拟的初级数学方法课程开发学习单元。这些模拟将允许教师候选人与模拟学生一起制定高杠杆实践，并接受研究团队的实践指导。这项工作的影响将通过对实施这些单元的教师和教育者的访谈以及实施过程中的观察和工件的分析来评估。第三个目标是通过小规模随机对照试验来评估模拟对教师候选人实践和信念的有效性。教师候选人将被随机分配到处理实践和使用模拟的条件，以及专注于课程计划，学生评估和高杠杆实践的小组讨论的常规业务条件。这项工作的影响将通过分析基线和退出模拟、教师在教学残疾学生时的自我效能测量以及在临床实习环境中对课堂教学的观察来评估。探索研究preK-12项目（DRK-12）旨在通过研究和开发创新资源、模型和工具，显著提高preK-12学生和教师对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）的学习和教学。DRK-12计划中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究和先前的研究和开发工作的基础上，为拟议的项目提供了理论和实证依据。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The preparation of general education teachers to support the mathematics learning of students with disabilities is critical, as students with disabilities are overrepresented in the lower ranks of mathematics achievement. This project aims to address this need in the context of elementary mathematics teacher preparation through the development and use of mixed reality simulations. These simulations represent low-stakes opportunities for preservice teachers to practice research-based instructional strategies to support mathematics learning, and to receive feedback on their practices. Learning units that use the simulations will focus on two high leverage practices: teacher modeling of self-monitoring and reflection strategies during problem solving and using strategy instruction to teach students to support problem solving. These high-leverage teaching practices will support teachers engaging all students, including students with disabilities, in conceptually sophisticated mathematics in which students are treated as sense-makers and empowered to do mathematics in culturally meaningful ways.The project work encompasses three primary aims. The first aim is to develop a consensus around shared definitions of high-leverage practices across the mathematics education and special education communities. To accomplish this goal, the project will convene a series of consensus-building panels with mathematics education and special education experts to develop shared definitions of the two targeted high leverage practices. This work will include engaging with current research, group discussion, and production of documents with specifications for the practices. The second aim is to develop learning units for elementary mathematics methods courses grounded in mixed reality simulation. These simulations will allow teacher candidates to enact the high leverage practices with simulated students and to receive coaching on their practice from the research team. The impact of this work will be assessed through the analysis of interviews with teacher educators implementing the units and observations and artifacts from the implementations. The third aim will be to assess the effectiveness of the simulations on teacher candidates’ practices and beliefs through small-scaled randomized control trials. Teacher candidates will be randomly assigned to conditions that address the practices and make use of simulations, and a business as usual condition focused on lesson planning, student assessment, and small group discussions of the high leverage practices. The impact of the work will be assessed through the analysis of baseline and exit simulations, measures of teacher self-efficacy for teaching students with disabilities, and observations of classroom teaching in their clinical placement settings.The Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) seeks to significantly enhance the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by preK-12 students and teachers, through research and development of innovative resources, models and tools. Projects in the DRK-12 program build on fundamental research in STEM education and prior research and development efforts that provide theoretical and empirical justification for proposed projects.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.