Collaborative Research: Advancing Equity Goals in Secondary Classrooms by Incorporating Mathematical Justification in Teaching

创造和证明数学命题是数学教育的基本学习目标和重要成果。为了促进公平的学习成果，教师必须以确保每个学生都有机会在课堂上发展和分享理由的方式实现这一目标。本试点研究的预期结果是：(1)以实践为基础的、关于学生参与数学论证如何促进公平结果的基础知识，以及(2)设计原则和教学举措的初步框架，使学生参与数学论证以促进公平目标。这个项目的基本贡献是将数学论证和数学课堂公平学习的研究结合在一起。学生对数学的参与取决于他们的代理感和对复杂数学的接触。数学论证的讨论可以为学生发展能动性和教师为学生提供理解数学思想的途径提供环境。该项目探讨了两个研究问题。首先，数学论证的实践在哪些方面对教师促进获取和代理起到了促进作用？其次，教师如何让学生在课堂上进行辩护，以实现更公平的教学成果？在康涅狄格州和密歇根州的高中有两个研究地点。教师将在学习小组中探讨数学的正当性和公平性。数据收集包括学习小组会议记录、访谈和录像的课堂观察。数据分析将包括创建一个带注释的时间表，以记录教师关于公平和数学论证的对话的进展。将制定一个框架来记录教师支持学生获得和代理数学论证的行动。本项目由美国国家科学基金会EHR核心研究（ECR）项目支持。ECR项目强调在该领域产生基础知识的基础STEM教育研究。投资在至关重要、广泛和持久的关键领域：STEM学习和STEM学习环境，扩大STEM参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。该项目支持积累有力的证据，为理解、构建理论进行解释提供依据，并提出干预和创新建议，以应对教育中持续存在的挑战。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。

Creating and justifying mathematical claims is an essential learning goal and valued outcome of a mathematics education. To advance equitable learning outcomes, it is essential that teachers pursue this goal in ways that ensure every student has opportunities to develop and share justifications in their classrooms. The intended outcomes of this pilot study are: (1) practice-grounded, foundational knowledge about how students’ participation in mathematical justification can advance equity outcomes, and (2) an initial framework for design principles and teaching moves that engage students in mathematical justification to advance equity goals.The fundamental contribution of this project is bringing together research about mathematical justification and equitable learning in mathematics classrooms. Students’ engagement in mathematics depends on their sense of agency and access to complex mathematics. Discussions of mathematical justification can provide a context for students to develop agency and for teachers to provide students with access to understanding mathematical ideas. The project explores two research questions. First, in what ways is the practice of mathematical justification an affordance for teachers to promote access and agency? Second, how do teachers engage students in justification in their classroom to advance toward more equitable instructional outcomes? There are two research sites at high schools in Connecticut and Michigan. Teachers will work in study groups to explore mathematical justification and equity. Data collection includes recordings of study group meetings, interviews, and video-recorded lesson observations. Data analysis will include creating an annotated timeline to document the progress of teachers’ conversations about equity and mathematical justification. A framework will be developed to document teacher moves that support students’ access and agency in mathematical justification. This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. The program supports the accumulation of robust evidence to inform efforts to understand, build theory to explain, and suggest intervention and innovations to address persistent challenges in education.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.