Improving Productive Mathematical Dispositions of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

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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.