By Erin Moss, Co-Editor, DUE Point, Millersville University

The Broadening Engagement in Mathematics Participation and Readiness Education Project (BE-MathPREP) aims to establish a supportive and engaging learning community, affirm the value of the teaching profession, and inspire undergraduate students to pursue careers in mathematics education. The project utilizes a tiered mentorship model to support preservice teachers at various stages of their undergraduate preparation and welcome them into professional communities.  Below, Principal Investigator Dr. Veny Liu of the University of Hawai’i West O’ahu (UHWO) describes the mentorship model.   

What challenges in preservice mathematics teacher education are you trying to address with BE-MathPREP?

According to the Committee on Barriers and Opportunities for 2-Year and 4-Year STEM Degrees, students pursuing STEM degrees face several roadblocks, including being underprepared for coursework, lack of clear academic pathways for STEM majors, and stereotyped beliefs of STEM careers. Research by Kerr and team also shows that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students face particular challenges to pursuing STEM careers, including cultural, geographic, facilities, and financial barriers. A Native Hawaiian UHWO Secondary Math Education student from a rural area on the Wai‘anae coast observed weaknesses in teacher preparation in terms of both credentials and cultural connection to the community.  She reported that her school had a significant number of teachers who have not attended a university teacher education program and struggle to understand the needs of their culturally diverse students.  Our project hopes to address some of these challenges. 

Can you describe the structure of the various mentoring contexts in your project?  

Mentorship occurs via Peer Academic Leaders (PALs) and the Math Teachers’ Circle at Hawaii (MaTCH).  Lower-division math students are mentored by PALs who, in turn, are mentored by professionals, including math faculty via the PAL program and in-service teachers via MaTCH.

In what ways does the Math Teacher’s Circle at Hawaii support prospective mathematics teachers?

MaTCH sessions are conducted once a month during the academic year and a three-day culture-based workshop during the summer. The pre-service math teachers and/or PALs are invited to participate in the MaTCH sessions as an extra-curricular opportunity that also serves as PAL training. During these sessions, in-service and pre-service teachers engage in mathematical problem-solving activities and pedagogical discussion.  This allows them to be part of a professional learning community where they can further their own mathematics knowledge, discuss innovative pedagogical approaches, and become lifelong learners.  After participating in a few sessions, the pre-service teachers begin to assume leadership responsibilities within the sessions. 

The evaluation component of BE-MathPREP involves examining impacts of the mentoring relationships on students’ teaching and mathematics efficacy.  Can you share some preliminary results?

Students' positive response to mentorship is reflected in their teaching and mathematics efficacy, as observed through participation in workshops and discussed in interviews. In the workshops, students confidently interact with one another and with other educators around mathematics and pedagogy.  Via interviews and surveys, students have expressed positive perceptions of their own development.  One participant described the impact of workshops on their current work:  “Seeing several different live perspectives on approaching math problems and seeing these problems applied to real world scenarios helps [my] working as a math student and tutoring as a PAL.”  

Relationships built as a result of the project also improve preservice teachers’ efficacy.  In reference to the networking aspect of the program, one student shared, "I have connected with more individuals as part of the math community and learned new things about teachers' roles in school and how our schools work.”  Another student reported an increased sense of belonging resulting from participation in the math teacher’s circle and remarked, “MaTCH has made me feel less alone and more a part of the math teaching community than I ever felt before [...]  MaTCH continuously builds upon my view of not only mathematics, but also myself, for every event that I attend.”

Large projects seldom go exactly as planned.  What are the biggest challenges you have faced with your work on this project? 

While implementation of the activities has gone smoothly, the biggest challenges are the administrative aspects of the project.  This includes paperwork and leadership team responsibilities. This is my first project, however, so I am learning a LOT and still learning!

Learn more about NSF DUE 2121422

Full Project Name: Broadening Engagement in Mathematics Participation and Readiness Education

Abstract: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2121422&HistoricalAwards=false

Project Contact: Dr. Veny Liu, PI; venyliu@hawaii.edu