CAREER: Inviting all 21st century problem-solvers: Building equity by de-tracking middle school mathematics instruction

面对来自气候变化和社会问题的日益严重的威胁，世界需要在科学，技术，数学和工程（STEM）培训的21世纪世纪问题解决者。学生喜欢并相信他们擅长数学（积极的数学影响）对他们继续学习STEM学科至关重要。增加具有积极数学影响的学生数量并支持他们追求STEM职业的能力需要包容性和有效的数学课程序列。然而，将学生分为高年级和低年级数学课程的做法阻碍了许多学生进入STEM领域。跟踪组织内和跨中学年级的数学课程。从历史上看，跟踪组织学生的种族，阶级，性别，家庭语言，并认为能力作为一个看门人的边缘化学生。取消跟踪途径有可能使STEM领域的获取多样化。本研究探讨学生和教师在俄勒冈州西部的一个公立学区的数学序列去跟踪的经验。它研究了一个地区范围内的中学生群体，作为个人和群体，如何识别和定义擅长数学意味着什么，以及这些身份如何随着时间的推移而改变，因为他们通过数学序列的进展。它还建立了数学教育研究人员和学区（研究实践伙伴关系）之间的伙伴关系，以研究教学法的变化，定义教学实践的问题，并设计解决方案，因为该地区过渡到脱轨类。更好地了解学生和教师的经验将有助于改善STEM教育的公平性和STEM领域的多样性。该项目侧重于一个学区的数学序列的脱离跟踪;特别是，该项目跟踪了一组中学生在跟踪和脱离跟踪条件下的情况。它的目的是捕捉个人的数学身份学生如何与数学和规范（组）的身份，学生如何被认为是合格的数学学习者在公共场所。数学身份“画像”是通过分析学生的绘画来构建的，这些绘画描绘了数学对他们来说是谁或什么，他们如何知道某人何时“擅长数学”的书面回答，以及对语义差异调查的回答，该调查旨在引出对数学熟练程度的五个方面的信念。使用混合方法分析，该项目综合了在三个时间点从学生那里收集的数据分析，以构建两个学生的数学身份“快照”，然后可以在他们通过跟踪和取消跟踪序列移动时进行跨时间的比较。随着该地区转向完全脱离轨道的中学数学途径，研究实践伙伴关系将共同确定哪些实践问题在支持新整合的数学课程方面至关重要，并研究学生可以合法地展示数学能力并培养富有成效的数学倾向的多种方式的证据。这将包括采用和评估新的教学法、课程和评估方法。该奖项由Discovery Research preK-12计划（DRK-12）资助，旨在通过研究和开发创新资源，显著提高preK-12学生和教师在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）方面的学习和教学，模型和工具。DRK-12项目中的项目建立在STEM教育的基础研究以及为拟议项目提供理论和经验依据的先前研究和开发工作的基础上。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。

Faced with increasing threats from climate change and social problems, the world needs 21st century problem solvers trained in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM). Students liking and believing they are good at math (positive math affect) is crucial to their continued study in STEM disciplines. Increasing the number of students with positive math affect and supporting their capacity to pursue STEM careers requires inclusive and effective mathematics course sequences. However, the practice of separating students into upper and lower-level math courses bars access to STEM fields for many students. Tracking organizes math coursework both within and across the secondary grades. Historically, tracking has organized students by race, class, gender, home language, and perceived ability—functioning as a gatekeeper for marginalized students. De-tracking pathways have the potential to diversify access to STEM fields. This project examines student and teacher experiences with the de-tracking of math sequences in a public school district in Western Oregon. It examines how a district-wide cohort of middle school students, as individuals and in groups, identify with and define what it means to be good at math, and how these identities shift over time as they progress through math sequences. It also establishes a partnership between a mathematics education researcher and a school district (Research Practice Partnership) to study changes in pedagogy, define problems of teaching practice, and design solutions as the district transitions to de-tracked classes. A better understanding of students’ and teachers’ experiences will support efforts to improve equity in STEM education and the diversity of STEM fields.This project focuses on the de-tracking of one school district’s math sequences; in particular, the project follows a cohort of middle school students in both tracked and de-tracked conditions. It aims to capture both individual math identities—how students relate to mathematics—and normative (group) identities—how students are recognized as competent math learners in public spaces. Math identity “portraits” are constructed by analyzing the students’ drawings of who or what math was to them, written responses on how they know when someone is “good at math,” and responses to a Semantic Differential survey designed to elicit beliefs about the five strands of math proficiency. Using mixed methods analysis, the project synthesizes the analysis of data collected from the students at three points in time to construct both individual student math identity “snapshots” that can then be compared across time as they move through tracked and de-tracked sequences. As the district moves to fully de-tracked middle school math pathways, the Research Practice Partnership will collectively determine which problems of practice are critical in supporting newly integrated math classes and examine evidence of multiple ways that students can legitimately show mathematical competence and foster productive mathematical dispositions. This will include adopting and evaluating new pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment methods. Increasing the diversity of students who are seen, and see themselves, as proficient math learners can increase the diversity of STEM participation.The award is funded by the Discovery Research preK-12 program (DRK-12) which 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.