Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Lucian Szlizewski

Abstract

Abstract

In a charter school in the Southwest United States, elementary students were struggling to

attain proficiency in math and have been failing to meet the standards in math on the

Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards test. As a result, these students may not have

been prepared for more advanced math courses as they continued their schooling, and this

failure to attain proficiency in math may continue to impact the school's ability to make

adequate yearly progress. The purpose of this explanatory case study was to explore the

perspectives of elementary math teachers toward teaching math, their preparation to teach

math, and the possible influences they may have on their students' math skills

development. The theoretical framework was self-efficacy theory. Data were gathered

through questionnaires completed by 5 participants teaching kindergarten through 5th

grade and through the investigation of archival data of their students' achievement test

scores. Emerging themes were coded to record and organize relevant information. The

participants indicated that they did not feel prepared to teach elementary math when

entering the classroom after their teacher preparation programs and that they want to gain

more content knowledge and learn more strategies to teach math. Social change may

occur as the elementary math teachers are given a voice concerning the teaching of math,

and this voice could be used in producing staff development and improving instruction.

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