Rapid and Profound Mathematics Teacher Change

1. Rapid and Profound Mathematics Teacher Change - Peter Liljedahl

2. action research (Jasper & Taube, 2004) • lesson study (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999) • communities of practice (McClain & Cobb, 2004; Wenger, 1998) • collegial discourse about teaching (Lord, 1994) Changes in Teachers’ Practice

3. Conclusions show that with time and continued intervention, support, and collaboration teachers can make significant and robust changes to their practice. RAPID and PROFOUND 48 CASES Changes in Teachers’ Practice

4. FACILITATOR & researcher • noticing (Mason, 2002) • DATA COLLECTION • interviews • school visits • observations • field notes • narratives (Clandinin, 1992) • DATA ANALYSIS • grounded theoryish (Charmaz, 2006) Methodology

5. Five Mechanisms of Change • conceptual change (n = 8) • accommodating outliers (n=6) • reification (n=12) • leading belief change (n=6) • push-pull rhythm of change (n=16) Results

6. CONCEPTUAL CHANGE

7. elementary school teacher for + 20 years • in recent years become disillusioned • curriculum as disjoint topics • little connection • students don’t think • traditional teaching • she doesn’t like being the type of teacher he has become – rejected her teaching Conceptual Change – the story of Mary

8. attended much pro-d • piloted new textbook LOOKING FOR A BETTER WAY! • started her Master’s with SFU • 7 courses • taught remotely Conceptual Change – the story of Mary

9. re-think how she looked at curriculum: • processes (estimation, communication, reasoning, problem solving, technology, connections, visualization) as content • list of topics as context THIS COMPLETED MARY’S CONCEPTUAL CHANGE Conceptual Change – the story of Mary

10. CONCEPTUAL CHANGE Mary’s Change Conceptual Change – the story of Mary

11. ACCOMMODATING OUTLIERS

12. middle school teacher for 8 years • mathematics is a game with set rules and very clear outcomes • mathematics is a collection of skills and facts • he sees his job as assuring that each student learns these skills and facts • students' role is to learn the material • Mitchell is a traditional mathematics teacher Accommodating Outliers – the story of Mitchell

13. less traditional in other subjects • welcomes professional development opportunities • "on the right track" • "there are some really fun activities that I now do with my kids" • "completely pointless" AVOIDING ACCOMMODATION Accommodating Outliers – the story of Mitchell

14. district learning team to create numeracy tasks • 5 meetings • create definition of numeracy • create/revise tasks pilot test Accommodating Outliers – the story of Mitchell

15. district learning team to create numeracy tasks • 5 meetings • create definition of numeracy • create/revise tasks pilot test change between 2nd and 3rd meeting ACCOMMODATION Accommodating Outliers – the story of Mitchell

16. REIFICATION

17. middle school teacher for 13 years • unhappy in her teaching • knows that she is doing many things well • group work • problem solving • pilot testing new textbook • formative assessment • BUT it all lacks cohesion Reification – the story of Danica

18. district learning team to create numeracy tasks (same as Mitchell) • 5 meetings • create definition of numeracy "Numeracy is the willingness and ability to apply and communicate mathematical understanding and procedures in novel and meaningful problem solving situations." Reification – the story of Danica

19. communication (thinking) - curriculum - problem solving - assessment - etc. reified Reification – the story of Danica

20. Reification ‘‘the process of giving form to our experiences by producing objects that congeal this experience into thingness’’ (Wenger, 1998) • teaching lacks “thingness” • communication was something that Danica could organize her teaching and her thinking about teaching around Reification – the story of Danica

21. LEADING BELIEF CHANGE

22. taught grade 6/7 for 5 years • progressive teacher • group work • projects • problem based learning • uses very traditional assessment practices Leading Belief Change- the story of Phil

23. district organized series of three workshops on problem solving • just do it! • assessment • teaching through problem solving “Evaluation is double edged sword. When you evaluate you show your students what you value. Therefore, make sure you evaluate what you value” Leading Belief Change- the story of Phil

24. beliefs about teaching Leading Belief Change- the story of Phil

25. PUSH-PULL RHYTHM OF CHANGE

26. high-school teacher for 16 years • practice best be described as meticulous • builds her instruction around homework • makes herself available to her students before school, after school, and at lunch • pride in success with "challenging" students Push-Pull Rhythm of Change – the story of Karen

27. district learning team to create numeracy tasks (not same as Mitchell and Danica) • 8 meetings • create definition of numeracy • create/revise tasks pilot test Push-Pull Rhythm of Change – the story of Karen

28. district learning team to create numeracy tasks (not same as Mitchell and Danica) • 8 meetings • create definition of numeracy • create/revise tasks pilot test 3rd meeting – revolt 4th meeting – excited about changes needed Push-Pull Rhythm of Change – the story of Karen

29. Phase 1: exo-spection (x) • Phase 2: eXo-spection (X) • Phase 3: eNdo-spection (N) • Phase 4: endo-spection (n) XN - 3 teachers xXN - 10 teachers xXNn - 3 teachers Push-Pull Rhythm of Change – the story of Karen

30. not all change is the same • new possibilities within both my practice and my research • I now question the assumptions upon which much of the professional growth literature has been predicated → (Liljedahl, in press) Conclusion from Research

31. CHANGE AGENTS • conceptual change • build something • definition • tasks • rubrics • assessments • back-up for eXo-section • golden thread – next meeting Conclusion since Research

32. THANK YOU liljedahl@sfu.ca www.peterliljedahl.com/presentations