Improving Productive Mathematical Dispositions of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

本计划旨在提高小学教师的数学素养，以服务国家利益。通过在教师数学课程中实施四项基于证据的干预措施，有望实现这种改善。这些课程是由小学教育专业的学生参加的，他们可能有数学焦虑或逃避的感觉。干预的效果将通过自我评估和眼球追踪技术的创新使用来研究。本计画透过处理数学自信、数学焦虑、数学学习控制感、数学回避等倾向，以期显著提升未来小学教师的数学态度与行为。反过来，这可能会影响他们未来的数学教学，并促进他们未来学生的生产性数学倾向。该项目将使用现有的调查和内容知识评估来测量数学倾向。此外，还将分析眼动追踪行为与数学倾向之间的关系；这将通过在教师准备的新背景下应用来增加关于眼动追踪和数学的文献。评估将在四个干预措施之前和之后进行：表达性写作、集中呼吸、认知重新评估和心态/自我效能。在为期12周的课程中，学生将经历6次每种干预。将收集基线数据和实验数据，随后使用适当的统计方法进行分析。该项目的目标包括提供基于研究的干预对整体数学倾向的有效性的证据，并建议通过传统和新方法测量数学倾向的效用。NSF IUSE: EDU项目支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过其参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。Robert Noyce教师奖学金（Noyce）计划为IUSE: EDU项目提供联合资金，以支持该项目的职前教师准备目标，这与Noyce计划的目标非常一致。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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving elementary teachers' dispositions toward mathematics. Such improvement is expected to occur through implementing four evidence-based interventions in Math for Teachers courses. These courses are taken by elementary education majors, a group who may have feelings of mathematics anxiety or avoidance. The effects of the interventions will be studied through self-assessments and an innovative use of eye-tracking technology. By addressing dispositions such as math confidence, math anxiety, sense of control over mathematical learning, and math avoidance, this project seeks to significantly enhance future elementary teachers’ mathematical attitudes and behaviors. In turn, this could affect their future teaching of mathematics and promote productive mathematical dispositions for their future students. This project will measure mathematical dispositions using existing surveys and content knowledge assessment. Additionally, the relationship between eye-tracked behaviors and mathematical dispositions will be analyzed; this will add to the literature around eye-tracking and mathematics by application in the novel context of teacher preparation. Assessment will occur before and after four interventions: expressive writing, focused breathing, cognitive reappraisal, and mindset/self-efficacy. Students will experience each intervention six times in a 12-week course. Both baseline and experimental data will be collected and subsequently analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The goals of this project include providing evidence of the effectiveness of research-based interventions on overall mathematical dispositions and to suggest the utility of measuring mathematical dispositions via both traditional and novel approaches. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through its Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship (Noyce) Program is providing co-funding for this IUSE: EDU project to support the project's pre-service teacher preparation goals, which are well-aligned with Noyce Program goals.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.