Preparing Mathematics Teachers to Teach for Justice and Joy in High-Needs Schools

该项目旨在满足国家在高需求学区培养高质量中学数学教师的需要。为此，该项目将特别关注如何利用数学建模和分析来揭示和调查影响教师所在社区的社会不平等问题。研究人员认为，这种方法将改善更传统的数学教学，学生经常离开课堂问，“为什么我需要知道这个？”，它将说明如何利用数学来创造一个更加社会公正的世界。此外，该项目将支持教师创造快乐的数学体验，激发和吸引学生，而不是让学生对数学领域产生负面情绪。与数学有良好关系的学生更有可能从事需要数学背景的职业。此外，理解数学有能力描述世界的学生可以在职业选择之外重视数学;当他们看到社区中的不公正时，他们可以用数学为自己和他人辩护。波士顿大学的这个项目包括与波士顿公立学校、莫尔登公立学校和沃尔瑟姆公立学校的合作项目，旨在帮助学生们在课堂上发展出一套能体现公平和快乐的教学理念和实践，让更多的学生能够接触到数学，并将数学视为与他们生活息息相关的东西。在五年的时间里，该项目打算招募31名STEM专业人员和拥有STEM学科（通常是数学）学位的高天赋学士后学生，在高需求学区教授中学数学。该项目旨在满足高需求学区培养和留住高效中学数学教师的需求，这些教师在课堂上促进快乐的数学体验方面受过适当培训，同时提高学生对数学如何能够阐明种族主义和其他社会不公正问题的批判意识。该项目将通过实现以下两个目标，为改进中学数学教育作出贡献。首先是产生一个示范性的模式，招聘，培训和保留一个多样化的数学教师社区的承诺和设施与使用的例子，如何数学可以应用于调查社会正义的问题。第二是通过出版物和会议演讲向研究教师如何学习实施和集中公正导向数学的教师教育工作者和研究人员传播本项目的研究结果。这个轨道1：奖学金和津贴项目是通过罗伯特诺伊斯教师奖学金计划（诺伊斯）的支持。诺伊斯计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为有效的K-12 STEM教师和经验丰富的模范K-12教师，成为高需求学区的STEM硕士教师。该奖项反映了NSF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 need for preparing high-quality secondary mathematics teachers in high-need school districts. Towards this end the project will focus particular attention on examples of how mathematical modeling and analysis can be used to reveal and investigate issues of social inequity that affect local communities where teachers may be placed. The investigators posit that such an approach will improve on more traditional mathematics instruction where students often leave class asking, “Why do I need to know this?”, and that it will illustrate how mathematics can be used to create a more socially just world. Additionally, instead of students leaving with a negative disposition toward the field of mathematics, this project will support teachers in creating joyful mathematical experiences that excite and engage students. Students who have a productive relationship with mathematics are more likely to pursue careers that require a mathematical background. Moreover, students who understand that mathematics has the power to describe the world can value mathematics beyond career choices; they can use mathematics to advocate for themselves and others when they see injustices in their community. By supporting preservice and beginning teachers in developing teaching philosophies and practices that highlight justice and joy in their lessons, more students are likely to engage with mathematics and see it as relevant to their lives.This project at Boston University includes partnerships with the Boston Public Schools, Malden Public Schools, and Waltham Public Schools. Over a five-year period, the project intends to recruit a mix of 31 STEM professionals and highly talented post-baccalaureate students who possess a degree in a STEM discipline, most often mathematics, to teach secondary mathematics in a high-need school district. This project seeks to address the need for preparing and retaining highly effective secondary mathematics teachers in high-need-school districts who are properly trained in facilitating joyful mathematical experiences in the classroom while simultaneously increasing students’ critical consciousness of how mathematics can illuminate issues of racism and other social injustices. This project will contribute to the improvement of mathematics education at the secondary level by pursuing the following two objectives. First is to generate an exemplary model for recruiting, training and retaining a diverse mathematics teacher community with a commitment to and facility with using examples of how mathematics can be applied to investigate issues of social justice. Second is to disseminate findings of this project through publications and conference presentations to teacher educators and researchers who study how teachers learn to implement and center justice-oriented mathematics. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts.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.