Graduation Term

2016

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Teaching and Learning

Committee Chair

Douglas Hatch

Abstract

In 2010 the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for mathematics and English Language Arts were introduced into K – 12 classrooms (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2015b). The standards for mathematics focus on having students demonstrate and explain understanding more than the standards have in the past (Burns, 2013). McCallum (2011) divides the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice into four main themes: reasoning and explaining, modeling and using tools, seeing structure and generalizing, and overarching habits of mind of a productive mathematical thinker. These four themes encompass what a mathematics classroom should look like when utilizing the CCSS for mathematics. With this shift in the standards it creates a need for teachers to have a strong content knowledge and pedagogical understanding (Zhang, 2014). One place to look and see whether teachers are prepared for these new standards is the university level with teacher preparation programs.

Methods courses have long been the place where preservice teachers gain pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987) and gain methods of teaching mathematics that can be carried into their own classrooms someday (Ball, 1990). This

qualitative, phenomenological study examines how one large, midwestern university has addressed the CCSS for mathematics within their mathematics methods courses. Interviews, surveys, and document analysis were used to deeply explore one university’s experiences with Common Core standards for mathematics. Data looked at how the professors were addressing the CCSS for mathematics within their methods courses as well as how the preservice teachers described their experiences with the CCSS for mathematics within these methods courses. Findings showed that the CCSS were mostly being addressed through classroom assignments as add-ons to created lesson plans. Student expectations and language were also being addressed within some of the methods courses.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2016.Schwartze.M

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