Educator preparation programs design their coursework and field experiences to help future teachers with knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively teach mathematics. However, implementation of mathematical pedagogy and content has been seen as challenging for many school systems. Elementary and middle school teachers' experiences in their…

Struggle is a behavior that is often perceived in a negative light in education. Students respond to struggle by avoiding them. Likewise, educators respond by removing obstacles (e.g., heavily scaffolded instruction) or providing assistance prematurely. The ability and opportunity to engage in struggle, specifically productive struggle, is…

The teaching of mathematical modeling is limited in P-12 classrooms. Little is known in regards to how to support teachers to successfully enact modeling activities. Teachers do not always appreciate the value of modeling activities in mathematics learning and often feel unprepared to implement modeling in their classrooms. Teachers often struggle…

Many approaches have been taken to study gender (in)equities in mathematics education, including studies of students' achievement on standardized tests, participation in postgraduate degrees and careers, participation in the classroom, and students and teachers' mathematics identities. In this dissertation, I used Baxter (2003b)'s Feminist…

The inclusion of Black learners in mathematics education discourse is typically achieved by way of deficit framing and the need for intervention rather than discussions of Black learners' brilliance (Gholson et al., 2012; Leonard & Martin 2013; Martin, 2012). Although mathematical illiteracy has become a signifier of Blackness, it is not a…

Middle school math students are underperforming on teacher-created assessments and assignments, state assessments, and nationally normed assessments, such as the Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) and the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). Only 35.7% of sixth graders in South Carolina scored "meets or exceeds…

It is well documented that as an educational system we subject students from particular racial and socioeconomic backgrounds to unequal schooling experiences. Some researchers attribute the unequal schooling experiences and outcomes of minoritized students of color to their limited access to educational resources, like skilled teachers and quality…

Middle school students who need help understanding how to manipulate math expressions involving the negative sign have demonstrated difficulty learning pre-algebra content that prepares them for higher-level math courses. This study involved a multimedia intervention to improve student negative sign proficiency and math self-efficacy. The…

The movement toward inclusive education has transformed the traditional classroom into a collaborative environment where students are able to learn and grow in their least restrictive environment. Although inclusive practices help promote the social, emotional, and academic growth of all students, there are still barriers that prevent its…

Academic achievement of students with disabilities has long been a concern in special education, and this work addresses the academic achievement gap between students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their typically developing peers. This study aimed to increase mathematical achievement in fluency and calculation skills for students with…

This study explores learning vector addition and demonstrating the understanding of vector addition. Vector addition is a key skill in mathematics and science education, but there is a limited amount of research that focuses on this topic. My study investigates how an instructional design framework "concreteness fading" can be used for…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to examine the relationship of exclusionary discipline consequences assigned to Texas Grade 3 through 8 students enrolled in special education and their academic achievement during the 2012-2013 through the 2015-2016 school year. In addition, the relationship of exclusionary discipline…

As students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participate in the general education setting at greater rates, they are expected to meet rigorous grade-level academic standards. Students with ASD typically struggle with problem solving, higher-ordered thinking, and mathematical reasoning. When students enter middle school, mathematics becomes more…

This dissertation targets young students' developing knowledge relevant to a fundamental practice in academic mathematics: the use of diagrams to represent idealized mathematical objects whose properties are established by definition (as in the use of drawn dots to represent zero-dimensional points and drawn lines to represent one-dimensional…

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method that has grown in popularity across all grade levels and subject areas, in both K-12 schools and higher education institutions. PBL embraces the integration of curriculum across subjects, the engagement of home and community in school learning, and the involvement of students in cooperative…