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

该项目旨在满足全国对高需求学区培养高质量中学数学教师的需求。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可能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，因为学生经常下课后问，“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，这个项目将帮助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消极的态度。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，那些明白数学有能力描述世界的学生，会把数学看得比职业选择更重要；当他们看到社区中的不公正现象时，他们可以用数学来为自己和他人辩护。通过支持职前教师和初级教师发展教学理念和实践，在他们的课程中强调公正和快乐，更多的学生可能会参与数学并将其视为与他们的生活相关。波士顿大学的这个项目包括与波士顿公立学校、马尔登公立学校和沃尔瑟姆公立学校的合作。在五年的时间里，该项目计划招募31名STEM专业人士和拥有STEM学科（通常是数学）学位的极具天赋的学士学位后学生，在高需求学区教授中学数学。该项目旨在解决在高需求学区培养和留住高效的中学数学教师的需求，这些教师经过适当的培训，可以在课堂上促进快乐的数学体验，同时提高学生对数学如何阐明种族主义和其他社会不公正问题的批判意识。本计划将透过以下两个目标，为改善中学数学教育作出贡献。首先是为招聘、培训和留住一个多元化的数学教师群体创造一个典范，这些教师群体承诺并善于使用数学如何应用于调查社会正义问题的例子。第二是通过出版物和会议报告向教师教育者和研究教师如何学习实施和中心以正义为导向的数学的研究人员传播该项目的研究结果。本项目由Robert Noyce教师奖学金项目（Noyce）资助。Noyce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，并支持经验丰富的模范K-12教师成为高需求学区的STEM大师教师。它还支持对高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的有效性和留任率的研究。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 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.