{"id":10256,"date":"2021-01-12T20:40:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-12T20:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citejournal.org\/\/\/"},"modified":"2021-06-04T19:53:11","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T19:53:11","slug":"when-robots-invade-the-neighborhood-learning-to-teach-prek-5-mathematics-leveraging-both-technology-and-community-knowledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citejournal.org\/volume-21\/issue-1-21\/mathematics\/when-robots-invade-the-neighborhood-learning-to-teach-prek-5-mathematics-leveraging-both-technology-and-community-knowledge","title":{"rendered":"When Robots Invade the Neighborhood: Learning to Teach PreK-5 Mathematics Leveraging Both Technology and Community Knowledge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As equity in mathematics education has garnered more attention, multiple avenues have emerged for increasing learning opportunities for students historically marginalized in mathematics. In this project, we brought together two avenues for equity-minded mathematics teaching: developing mathematics teaching among prospective teachers (PTs) that incorporated both technology<\/em> and funds of knowledge<\/em> to foster mathematics learning toward supporting broader equity goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This study examined mathematics teaching that utilized digital technologies for increasing opportunities for mathematical reasoning and sense making and supporting positive dispositions toward mathematics (as recommended in Forgasz et al., 2010). Leveraging funds of knowledge means using the cultural, linguistic, and cognitive resources from home or community settings to promote learning the school mathematics curriculum (Aguirre et al., 2012; Harper et al., 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This paper reports our study of the use of robotics in mathematics teaching, which are appropriate for working with students across grades preK-12 and for supporting culturally responsive teaching (Leonard et al., 2016, 2018; Newton et al., 2020; Sullivan & Bers, 2016; Xia & Zhong, 2008). We explored PTs\u2019 development of mathematics teaching within an elementary mathematics methods course through a model that engaged them in learning about technological tools and about community-based mathematics practices. Our aim was to design and implement science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities that leveraged both robotics and funds of knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although this study centered PTs\u2019 development, we grounded our work with PTs in separate lines of research. This research suggested that integrating digital technology and leveraging funds of knowledge in mathematics classrooms can positively impact the mathematics achievement of preK-12 students (e.g., Kisker et al., 2012; Li & Ma, 2010). Bringing these two pedagogical approaches together in a university-based elementary mathematics methods course was grounded in theories framing both mathematics and digital technologies as situated within cultural practices. This effective and equitable teaching had to address the different needs, positions, and identities of students as they engaged with mathematics through technology (Forgasz et al., 2010; Nasir, 2002). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teaching mathematics with technology shows potential to support differentiated instruction and student-centered practices (Thomas & Edson, 2019), but without cultural considerations can exacerbate inequities (Forgasz et al., 2010). In particular, differences across gender, race\/ethnicity, and socioeconomic groups in access to and uses of technology at both home and school may further limit mathematics learning opportunities for students from historically marginalized groups (Forgasz et al., 2010; Warschauer & Matuchniak, 2010; Wang & Moghadam, 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Black students are likely to use technology in school mathematics at least once a week; however, the use of that technology often prioritizes remedial computer-drill (Kitchen & Berk, 2016; Warschauer & Matuchniak, 2010), an instructional approach that is known to perpetuate inequitable mathematics outcomes for Black students (Berry et al., 2014; Martin, 2019). Thus, educators integrating technology into mathematics teaching toward equity goals must consider the broader sociocultural and sociopolitical conditions impacting mathematics learning opportunities for students from historically marginalized groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Accordingly, a funds of knowledge approach is a promising complement to teaching mathematics with technology because of the inherent emphasis on bridging cultural-, community-, and home-based practices with school practices. Leveraging funds of knowledge fosters a strengths-based approach by positioning students\u2019 diverse knowledge bases, experiences, and resources as assets for mathematics learning (Aguirre et al., 2012; Moll et al., 1992). Adopting such a strength-based approach encourages teachers to emphasize what students know and can do with available resources and tools, which may mediate challenges in the differential access and use of technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This study aimed to integrate two considerations essential in the preparation of teachers of mathematics (Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 2017), using mathematical tools and technology and drawing on students\u2019 mathematical strengths, usually considered separately. In this study, we asked the following research question: How do PTs develop mathematics teaching that uses the cultural, linguistic, and cognitive resources from home and community settings to promote learning school mathematics with robotics?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning to teach mathematics with technology requires a sophisticated and integrated knowledge of teaching, mathematics, and technology (Koehler & Mishra, 2009; Thomas & Edson, 2019). Likewise, learning to bridge funds of knowledge and the school mathematics curriculum requires deep knowledge of teaching, mathematics, and students\u2019 community- and home-based experiences and resources (Aguirre et al., 2012; Harper et al., 2018). Thus, bringing together these two avenues for equity in mathematics education increases the complexity of learning to teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our study aimed to open pathways for and identify challenges to preparing PTs for teaching mathematics by leveraging both technology, namely robotics, and funds of knowledge. The following sections contain a brief overview of the research on teaching and learning to teach mathematics with robotics and funds of knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Policymakers have called for integrated content frameworks to support preK-12 STEM education that incorporates critical thinking, fundamentals of coding, and use of digital technologies (e.g., Tennessee Department of Education, 2018a). Students historically marginalized in mathematics, however, also experience marginalization when learning coding and using digital technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, by age six, stereotypes that boys are better than girls at robotics and computer programming lowers girls\u2019 sense of belonging in STEM and limits their access to activities such as computer games and technological toys (Master et al., 2016). Research consistently shows that cultural stereotypes and, consequently, limited opportunities to engage with coding and digital technologies maintain gender inequities (Bian et al., 2017; Funke et al., 2017; Master et al., 2016, 2017), but considerations of access and participation among Black and Latinx children remain underexplored. In fact, the experiences of Black and Latinx children have been largely ignored (Newton et al., 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only a few studies have taken up cultural considerations (Leonard et al., 2016, 2018; Newton et al., 2020; Scott et al., 2015), but those studies show that robotics offers an authentic way for teachers and students to draw on cultural capital as they use digital technologies and engage with the fundamentals of coding. Further, robotics provides a highly engaging STEM strategy to reinforce mathematical concepts (e.g., solving equations; Grubbs, 2013).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to individual motivation, Yuen et al. (2014) found that using robotics facilitated collaborative learning experiences that encouraged students to draw on multiple strengths in design and implementation, which aligns with equitable approaches to broadening participation in mathematics education (Esmonde, 2009). Additional research suggests that student use of robotics is an impactful instructional method for students with exceptional needs (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, emotional and behavioral disorders, Down syndrome, and medically fragile students; Benitti, 2012; Knight et al., 2019; Nickels & Cullen, 2017; Taylor, Vasquez et al., 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Support for developing teachers\u2019 STEM instructional skills and pedagogical use of robotics is an ongoing area of research. Leonard et al. (2018) focused on developing practicing teachers\u2019 STEM skills in tandem with culturally responsive teaching. Findings from their study noted increased teacher efficacy, improved technical understanding, and development of equitable STEM practices for teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research indicates a continued \u201cneed for teacher [professional development] and ongoing support as teachers integrate robotics and computational thinking in their classrooms\u201d (Chalmers, 2018, p. 99). This study contributes to the field\u2019s emerging understandings of how teachers learn to integrate robotics into mathematics instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guidance on preparing teachers of mathematics increasingly has emphasized the importance of drawing on students\u2019 mathematical strengths, particularly regarding valuing diverse mathematical, cultural, and linguistic funds of knowledge (Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 2017). Funds of knowledge refer to the \u201chistorically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being\u201d (Moll et al., 1992, p. 133). Accordingly, mathematics instruction that leverages funds of knowledge uses the cultural, linguistic, and cognitive resources from home or community settings to promote learning the school mathematics curriculum (Aguirre et al., 2012; Harper et al., 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research has shown that culturally relevant learning environments that value funds of knowledge positively affect student effort and engagement (Howard, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 2009). In addition to increasing participation, incorporating children\u2019s everyday mathematics practices into classroom instruction challenges students\u2019 expectations about mathematics, broadening ideas about who can do mathematics and what mathematics is (Civil, 2002). Consequently, situating mathematics in its community- and home-based cultural context significantly increases student performance on traditional measures of mathematics achievement (Kisker et al., 2012). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Supporting teachers to utilize funds of knowledge for students\u2019 learning of school mathematics is not straightforward (Civil, 2007). Given the commonly held misperception that mathematics is culturally neutral, the divide between home-based and school-based mathematics remains wide. Thus, identifying and leveraging everyday mathematics practices proves more challenging than in other disciplines such as language arts or social studies (Gonz\u00e1lez et al., 2001).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research on PTs\u2019 development of mathematics teaching that leverages funds of knowledge shows a tendency toward only superficial connections to out-of-school experiences (e.g., changing names of locations) or only procedural mathematics (e.g., calculations with money) rather than reasoning and sense making (Aguirre et al., 2012; Harper et al., 2018). These findings indicate a continued need for research in mathematics teacher education on bridging funds of knowledge and school mathematics in meaningful ways, and this study contributes to the field\u2019s understandings of how teachers learn to leverage funds of knowledge in mathematics instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to home- and community-based funds of knowledge, we also included knowledge, experiences, and ways of knowing from other disciplines in our current framing of funds of knowledge. We chose to broaden the concept of funds of knowledge in this study for several reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, connecting mathematics to other disciplines shows promise for addressing inequities in mathematics (Jao & Radakovic, 2018). Transdisciplinary connections can enhance students\u2019 ability to leverage their home- and community-based funds of knowledge in meaningful ways in mathematics (Harper 2017, 2019). Further, the focus on using robotics in mathematics is inherently transdisciplinary, bringing together computer science and mathematics. A conceptual model that expands STEM to STEAM, by promoting cross-curricular content integration through art-related fields (e.g., social studies, literature, and visual art), fosters teachers\u2019 ability in creating authentic problem-based learning tasks (Quigley et al., 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, teachers can identify and leverage everyday practices from children\u2019s lives more easily in other disciplines than in mathematics (Gonz\u00e1lez et al., 2001). Thus, we hoped that encouraging transdisciplinary connections might also enhance teachers\u2019 ability to leverage children\u2019s home- and community-based funds of knowledge in meaningful ways in mathematics instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, we aimed to explore how PTs develop mathematics teaching that uses the cultural, linguistic, and cognitive resources from home and community settings to promote learning school mathematics with robotics. More specifically, we addressed the following research questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research took place within initial teacher licensure programs at a public university in the southeastern United States. Across fall 2018, spring 2019, and fall 2019, groups of PTs from five sections of a master\u2019s-level elementary mathematics methods course designed, planned for, and facilitated mathematics activities at informal STEM events (henceforth, family STEM nights) hosted afterschool by nearby public elementary schools and preschools. Table 1 provides a summary of PT enrollment across the five sections of elementary mathematics methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Table 1<\/strong> Prospective Teacher Enrollment Across Five Sections of Mathematics Methods<\/p>\n\n\n\nBackground<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Research on Robotics in STEM Education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Research on Funds of Knowledge in Mathematics Education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Transdisciplinary Connections as Funds of Knowledge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Research Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Context and Participants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n