Keywords
Contextual Relevance, Cognitive Demand, Economically Disadvantaged Students, Critical Ethnography, Mathematics Education, Expectancy Value Theory
Abstract
This study explored teachers’ beliefs, values, and expectancies impacted their practices in relation to the intersection of contextually relevant and cognitively demanding elementary mathematics tasks. Using a critical ethnographic approach, the study examined the instructional practices and beliefs of elementary teachers serving this demographic. The study explored the characteristics of tasks that emerged when participants used a layered rubric approach, applying two rubrics to enhance cognitive demand and contextual relevance. It also investigated how teachers' expectancy-value beliefs, as outlined by the Expectancy Value Theory, influenced their application of these rubrics.
Data were gathered through interviews, artifact analysis, and task evaluations. The findings revealed that Subjects' perceptions of the layered rubrics’ benefits and challenges influenced their task selection and modification processes. Subjects with asset-based beliefs followed the rubric guidelines and produced modified tasks that could enrich the mathematical experiences for students, characterized by heightened cognitive demand and contextual relevance. In contrast, those influenced by deficit-based beliefs deviated from the rubric guidelines, resulting in tasks that did not effectively enhance the desired task characteristics. This study contributes to the field of mathematics education by highlighting the profound impact of educators' beliefs on the quality of mathematics instruction for economically disadvantaged students. It offers recommendations for professional development focused on assessing teachers’ beliefs, values, and expectancies to promote asset-based views and facilitate sustainable, equitable mathematical practices through the application of a dual rubric approach.
Completion Date
2024
Semester
Summer
Committee Chair
Dixon, Juli
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
College
College of Community Innovation and Education
Department
Learning Science & Educational Research
Degree Program
Curriculum and Instruction
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
DP0028623
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0028623
Language
English
Rights
In copyright
Release Date
August 2025
Length of Campus-only Access
1 year
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Campus-only Access)
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Ruiz, Abigail, "Exploring Contextually Relevant, Cognitively Demanding Mathematics Tasks: A Critical Ethnographic Inquiry Of The Instructional Practices And Beliefs Of Elementary Teachers Who Serve Economically Disadvantaged Students" (2024). Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024. 420.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2023/420
Accessibility Status
Meets minimum standards for ETDs/HUTs
Restricted to the UCF community until August 2025; it will then be open access.