Date of Award

5-11-2025

Date Published

June 2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching and Curriculum

Advisor(s)

Joanna Masingila

Keywords

Mathematics Identity;Reflection;Teacher Identity;Teacher Preparation

Abstract

In this three-paper dissertation, I present three studies focused on mathematics identity. The three studies complement one another as each seeks to expand our knowledge of mathematics identity through conceptualizations of mathematics learner identity, mathematics teacher identity, and mathematics educator identity. Given that each paper is intended to be submitted individually to a mathematics education research journal, I share below the three unique abstracts that conform to the formatting requirements of the specific mathematics education research journal that I have targeted for each paper. Abstract for Paper One: Despite consistent efforts for change in mathematics education aligned with ambitious and equitable teaching practices, many preservice teachers continue to enroll in teacher-preparation programs having learned mathematics in traditional, teacher- centered ways. If mathematics teacher educators are to support preservice teachers in breaking the cycle of teaching in the traditional ways that they themselves were taught, a greater understanding of how the mathematics learner identities and mathematics teacher identities of preservice teachers interrelate is needed. In this paper, we contribute a conceptual distinction of between identities and within identities to explore the interrelated nature of preservice elementary teachers’ mathematics learner identities and mathematics teacher identities in the context of a problem solving focused mathematics content course. We collected data from 21 preservice elementary teachers who were in their first year enrolled at a university and deductively analyzed their self-reported experiences in the problem-solving focused mathematics content course. We share our findings of several ways that the mathematics learner identities and mathematics teacher identities interrelated in this study. Ultimately, we suggest that these findings support progress toward supporting preservice elementary teachers to take up ambitious and equitable teaching practices. Abstract for Paper Two: In the context of a preparing elementary teachers to teach mathematics, this qualitative multiple case study documents the self-told first-person identity stories of three preservice elementary teachers. Three contributions are made in this paper: (a) first, the documentation of a novel attempt to elicit self-told first-person identity stories including findings for the effectiveness of this attempt; (b) second, findings of the ways that preservice elementary teachers’ mathematics identities developed throughout their field placement based on their identity stories; and (c) third, findings of the ways that preservice elementary teachers’ mathematics identities co-developed throughout their field placement based on their identity stories. Abstract for Paper Three: Conceptualizations of mathematics teacher identity and mathematics-related teacher identity are helpful for understanding how mathematics teachers shape mathematics learner identities from within a mathematics classroom. However, I draw on Wenger’s (1998) theory of identity in communities of practice to suggest that these constructs are not sufficient for understanding the boundaries and peripheries of a mathematics community of practice. I conceptualize mathematics educators as those individuals who participate in a mathematics community of practice from the edges of the community and are neither mathematics students nor professional mathematics teachers. I conducted a systematic literature review of mathematics educator identity research to understand who may be considered a mathematics educator, how mathematics educators participate in mathematics communities of practice, and how mathematics educators may influence mathematics learner identities. I found empirical evidence of administrators, community members, counselors, grandparents, parents, and teachers of students with special needs participating as mathematics educators. In addition to this, I found five ways that mathematics educators participated in mathematics communities of practice with some evidence of their influence on mathematics learner identities: (1) through the funds of knowledge they brought to a community of practice (2) through the different roles they played within schools, beyond teaching mathematics (3) by collaborating, or not collaborating, with other members within a community of practice to support learners (4) through the expectations of achievement that they communicated to learners and (5) through the languages they used to communicate within their community of practice.

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Open Access

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