Fueling Teachers’ Interest in Learning about the Standards for Mathematical Practice

Abstract

The Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) describe mathematical behaviors and habits that K-12 students should engage in during math instruction. Existing research suggests that preservice and inservice teachers (PSTs and ISTs) typically learn about the SMPs by examining math tasks and therefore gain insight into the students’ roles while engaging in the SMPs. This study seeks to explore the process of fueling teachers’ interest in learning about the SMPs through the use of a brief protocol-centered professional development (PD) experience. The authors planned and implemented a two-hour PD experience for grades 4-12 PSTs and ISTs. Results from the pre- and post-PD survey indicated participants underwent a shift in perspective when thinking about the SMPs. Participants expressed having a better understanding of the SMPs and importance of the teacher’s role in promoting the SMPs. Furthermore, all shared a desire to follow up on their questions about the meaning of the SMPs and ways to foster certain SMPs during instruction. Finally, participants had a desire to attend a more sessions, suggesting a single PD session sparked a desire to learn more about something that impacts their everyday instruction. The implications of this study suggest that a brief PD experience may initiate a conversation towards understanding the teachers’ role in promoting the SMPs and ignite teachers’ interest in attending future PD experiences on this topic.