Authenticity of elementary teacher designed and implemented mathematical modeling tasks

ABSTRACT

Mathematical modeling is a high-leverage topic; it is critical to students’ participation in STEM education and supports civic engagement. Until recently, research on modeling at the elementary level has been underemphasized, particularly research on supports and challenges for teachers who engage in designing authentic modeling tasks. In this study, we employed qualitative case study methods to investigate how elementary teachers designed and implemented authentic mathematical modeling tasks, with an explicit focus on how their tasks evidenced different dimensions of authenticity. We analyzed three cases of teams of elementary teachers as they developed modeling tasks connected to school and community contexts. The three cases were: 1) a student-driven modeling task related to paper and plastic waste in a school cafeteria, 2) a modeling task based on authentic situations at a community-run resource center, and 3) a modeling task focused on designing and monitoring a school community-building art project. Our cases illustrate that elementary teachers can successfully design and implement modeling activities that utilize different entry points and evidence multiple dimensions of authenticity. Furthermore, we found that the specific dimensions of authenticity may vary depending on the design supports and curriculum challenges within each context.

KEYWORDS:

• Mathematical modeling
• elementary mathematics teachers
• curriculum design
• case study research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Additional information about project developed tasks and tools is available on the project website https://m2c3.qc.cuny.edu

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant numbers 1561305, 1561304, 1561331 and 156274. Any opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.

Notes on contributors

Erin E. Turner

Erin Turner is a professor of mathematics education at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on equity in mathematics education and culturally responsive approaches to teaching and learning mathematical modeling in the elementary grades.

Amy Been Bennett

Amy Bennett is a post-doctoral scholar in mathematics education, whose research focuses on mathematical modeling in K-12 teacher preparation, active learning in undergraduate math courses, and equitable teaching practices.

Monica Granillo

Monica Granillo is a graduate student in the Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies Department in the College of Education at the University of Arizona. She is currently a mathematics interventionist at a local public elementary. Her research interests include promotion of mathematical discourse and discussion related to problem solving tasks in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms.

Nishaan Ponnuru

Nishaan Ponnuru interests include mathematics education and environmental education. She earned a masters degree in Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona.

Amy Roth Mcduffie

Amy Roth McDuffie conducts research on the professional development of prospective and practicing teachers in mathematics education. Specifically, she focuses on supporting teachers’ learning and development in the areas of equitable instructional practices and teachers’ use of curriculum resources.

Mary Q. Foote

Mary Q Foote is professor emerita from Queens College, CUNY. Her research attends to issues of equity and diversity in mathematics education. More specifically her research interests are in examining the potential for teachers to incorporate children’s home and community funds of knowledge in their teaching.

Julia M. Aguirre

Julia Maria Aguirre is a Professor of Education at the University of Washington Tacoma. Her areas of expertise include equity studies in mathematics education, culturally responsive mathematics teaching; and mathematical modeling in k-8 settings. A primary goal of her work is preparing new generations of teachers to make mathematics education accessible, meaningful and relevant to today’s youth.

Elzena McVicar

Elzena McVicar is a doctoral candidate in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum at the University of Washington, Seattle. Her research includes working with in-service teachers on creating joyous, culturally responsive, and anti-racist mathematics learning environments.