Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Teaching and Learning
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Stacy Megan Che
Committee Member
Dr. Carlos Nicholas Gomez Marchant
Committee Member
Dr. Jacquelynn A. Malloy
Committee Member
Dr. Natasha N. Croom
Committee Member
Dr. Alex E. Chisolm
Abstract
This study examines how middle school mathematics teachers conceptualize and enact culturally responsive mathematics teaching (CRMT) within a district-supported professional learning initiative. Guided by the CRMT framework developed by Aguirre and Zavala (2013), the research explores how instructional decision-making intersects with equity-focused pedagogy.
Two central questions inform the study: (1) How do middle school mathematics teachers interpret and apply CRMT principles in their classroom practice? (2) What specific instructional strategies do teachers use to integrate cultural responsiveness into their instruction?
Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, data were collected from three teachers participating in a professional learning group called MORE (Making Math Opportunities Relevant for Everyone). Sources included lesson plans, classroom observations, interviews, and reflective conversations. Lessons were analyzed using the six-dimension CRMT tool, which emphasizes cognitive demand, depth of knowledge, mathematical discourse, power and participation, academic language support, and cultural/community-based knowledge.
Findings show teachers used student-centered strategies, encouraged mathematical discourse, and supported academic language development. However, tensions emerged around spontaneous responsiveness, leveraging students’ cultural knowledge, and differing conceptions of equity. Contextual factors such as pacing guides, district expectations, and teacher preparation shaped enactment.
This study underscores the potential of collaborative professional learning to support equity-oriented teaching while revealing the need for deeper engagement with identity, power, and culture. It contributes to research on equity in mathematics education and offers implications for teacher preparation, professional development, and instructional leadership.
Recommended Citation
Latimer, Yashica R., "More Than Numbers: Interrogating the Instructional Capacity Of Middle School Mathematics Teachers" (2025). All Dissertations. 4004.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4004