Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Michelle McCraney

Abstract

Teachers' support in implementing the standards for mathematical practice has been an area of study since the implementation of the Common Core state standards initiative. The research problem was a gap in the literature regarding what teachers perceive as the supports needed to implement the Common Core standards for mathematical practice in the classroom. The Common Core initiative's standardized educational reform goal is to better prepare students for career and college readiness in the United States. Fidelity in implementation is essential to the success of the reform. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore what teachers perceive as the supports needed to implement the Common Core standards for mathematical practice in the classroom. The conceptual framework of this study was the interconnected model of professional growth. Twelve middle school mathematics teachers participated in semistructured interviews to provide data on their use of the standards and their perception of support needs. The data collected was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The results of the study indicated a reported gap in practice regarding the use of the standards from the teachers’ account. They further identified the need for formal training to understand better and use the standards. The support teachers seek is to have training that can allow them to learn more about the purpose of the standards and training that can be adapted to their needs based on their current practices and experiences. The research findings can help with the fidelity of implementation, and possibly influence social change by assisting teachers in using best practices to prepare students for college and career readiness in mathematics.

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