Project Overview

Supporting Teachers in Using “Asset-based” Perspectives and “Equity-oriented” Math Practices

Our design study aims to create the conditions in which teacher candidate-mentor teacher dyads are supported to co-learn together in service of equity-oriented mathematics instruction, attending to both the pragmatic and theoretical aspects of design work (Cobb et al., 2017).

Pragmatically

Pragmatically, we are designing “practical tools” (Grossman) called “Collaborative Learning Structures” (i.e., CLSs) that are protocols that guide and support dyads’ co-learning equity-oriented mathematics instruction.

Theoretically

Theoretically, we are iteratively “developing, testing, and revising” our conjectures about how the dyads’ learn together as they use the CLSs and how each CLS supports dyads in co-learn equity-oriented mathematics instruction.

Learn more about our CLS Development and Theory of Co-Learning Equity-Oriented Mathematics Instruction below.

Our Project Team Members

Click on each person below to learn more about their work in math education and on this project.

Mary Alice Carlson

Montana State University

Heather Fink

Portland State University

Maddie Gao

Portland State University

Imani Goffney

University of Maryland

Ruth Heaton, PI

Teachers Development Group

Kara Jackson

University of Washington

Melinda Knapp

Oregon State University-Cascades

Torrey-Kulow, Co-PI

Portland State University

Taylor Stafford

University of Washington

Collaborative Learning Structure Development

Central Design Characteristics of Collaborative Learning Structures

1. Make visible and investigate "enduring questions" (Cochran-Smith et al., 2008) and practical dilemmas (Lampert, 1985) of equity-oriented instruction (e.g., teachers' vision and values, equitable participation patterns and opportunities for rich learning; leveraging students' mathematical and cultural assets; and facilitating meaningful conversation between students).
2. Center students' experiences and perspectives, especially students' perspectives about access, achievement, power and identity (Gutiérrez, 2009) in the classroom.
3. Reflect a humanizing and assets-based perspective (Gutiérrez, 2018) toward all learners by eliciting, drawing on, valuing, and validating teacher candidates' and mentor teachers' perspectives, strengths, knowledge and skills.
4. Enable teachers to interrogate problematic aspects of their own understanding and enactment of equity-oriented instruction and support them in formulating solutions to those problems with guidance and input from others, including students, colleagues, parents, and community members (Zeichner et al., 2015).
5. Support teachers in being humble and vulnerable as they make their own instruction open to collective inquiry (Gibbons et al., 2017; Little & Horn, 2007; Little, 2002), and consider how they are perpetuating and can potentially disrupt inequities in their classroom.

Collaborative Learning Structure Development

Our Design Cycle

Theory of Co-Learning Equity-Oriented Mathematics Instruction

Please email kulow@pdx.edu for more information about our project.

Please explore our site to learn about our protocols and think about how you might use them in your own work as a teacher candidate, mentor teacher, or teacher educator!