Date of Conferral

2-4-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Deborah Focarile

Abstract

Without a curriculum that directly addresses the needs of all learners, students from linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) backgrounds will continue to have inequitable educational experiences in high school mathematics. It is unknown if adopting the Illustrative Mathematics (IM) curriculum engages students from LCD backgrounds or will assist in narrowing the achievement gap between students of color and their White counterparts in a high school Algebra 1 course. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teachers’ experiences implementing the IM Algebra 1 curriculum with LCD learners using situated cognition, problem-based learning, and a culturally relevant pedagogy framework. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 Algebra 1 teachers implementing the IM curriculum from school districts in the eastern United States. Thematic analysis, using a priori and open coding, revealed that, according to participants: (a) the IM curriculum is not representative of students with diverse backgrounds; (b) students who are not advanced or on grade level have difficulty engaging with and accessing the IM curriculum; (c) some positive aspects of the curriculum are evident; (d) LCD students are not achieving academically unless classroom teachers modify the IM curriculum to better fit students’ learning needs; and (e) students tended to be disengaged from instruction for a variety of reasons. Findings of this study aid in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the IM program content and instruction. With improved instruction for LCD students, the achievement gap for these students may close, thereby creating positive social change over time.

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