PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Viewing Math Teachers’ Circles through the prime leadership framework
Page: 278
This study explored the effect of participation in Math Teachers’ Circles (MTC) on aspects of teacher leadership. MTCs are a collaborative professional development model, aimed primarily at middle school mathematics teachers, focused on problem-solving and open-ended mathematical explorations. Prior studies have linked them to increased content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, particularly in the domains of number and operation. This exploratory study used self-report data gathered from a national survey across 13 MTC sites and consisting of 169 completed surveys from MTC participants. Analysis of the data showed that MTC participation can help teachers develop across the three stages of leadership presented in the PRIME leadership framework. Further research is needed to ascertain characteristics of teachers for whom this effect is particularly pronounced, as well as to reconcile some of the self- report data with actual practice.