This study explores the pedagogical approaches used by fifth grade teachers to introduce division with decimals and the resultant understandings of students in their classrooms. The study is important because of the need for students to gain conceptually-based understandings in mathematics and the limited research on instruction and related learning of the very difficult and complex concept of division with decimals. In particular, there is limited research on strategies teachers use to develop students’ conceptual understanding of division with decimals. Therefore, the research questions are as follows. What strategies do teachers use to introduce division with decimals? When first learning to divide decimal numbers, how do fifth-grade students explain the strategies they use? The study is grounded in social constructivist learning theory and uses a collective case study methodology. Following the study design, three fifth-grade teachers from three schools were interviewed before and after an introductory lesson to division with decimals. They also were observed teaching the study lesson. Following the lesson, one to three students from each class (six in all) were interviewed on their understandings of division with decimals using their classwork from the lesson as a point of entry. The design includes three sources of data: transcriptions from semi-structured interviews of teachers and students, field notes from classroom observations, and artifacts from lessons. Results suggest that instruction of division with decimals varies such that the differences can be captured along a continuum of traditional to reform practices. The placement of the decimal point in the quotient is the focus of the discussion regardless of where the instruction lies on the continuum. Interestingly, as instruction moves towards the traditional end of the continuum, student engagement was a result of interaction with the teacher, whereas closer to the reform end of the spectrum students were engaged with the mathematics.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / Margaret G. Shroyer / Complex social, racial, economic, and political issues involved in the practice of teaching today require beginning teachers to be informed, skilled, and culturally responsive when entering the classroom. Teacher educators must educate future teachers in ways that will help them teach all children regardless of language, cultural background, or prior knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) novice teachers described and demonstrated culturally responsive teaching strategies using their students’ cultural and academic profiles to inform practice in science and mathematics instruction. This qualitative exploratory case study considered the culturally responsive teaching practices of 12, non-traditional, Latina/o students as they progressed through a distance-based collaborative teacher education program. Qualitative techniques used throughout this exploratory case study investigated cultural responsiveness of these student teachers as they demonstrated their abilities to: a) integrate content and construct knowledge; b) illustrate social justice and prejudice reduction; and c) develop students academically during science and mathematics instruction. In conclusion, student teachers participating in this study demonstrated their ability to integrate content by: (1) including content from other cultures, (2) building positive teacher-student relationships, and (3) holding high expectations for all students. They also demonstrated their ability to facilitate knowledge construction by building on what students knew. Since there is not sufficient data to support the student teachers’ abilities to assist students in learning to be critical, independent thinkers who are open to other ways of knowing, no conclusions regarding this subtheme could be drawn. Student teachers in this study illustrated prejudice reduction by: (1) using native language support to assist students in learning and understanding science and math content, (2) fostering positive student-student interactions, and (3) creating a safe learning environment. Results also indicated that these student teachers demonstrated their ability to develop students academically by creating opportunities for learning in the classroom through their knowledge of students and by the use of research-based instructional strategies. However, based on the data collected as part of this study, the student teachers’ abilities to illustrate or model social justice during science and math instruction were not demonstrated.

In a large urban school system located in a metropolitan city in the southeastern United States, third- and fifth-grade minority students in Title I elementary schools are performing below proficiency in social studies on the statewide standardized assessments. The lack of exposure to the social studies curriculum continues to hinder minority students from successfully comprehending complex informational text, which is important to their success in the newly adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the problem teachers faced with an insufficient amount of time for teaching social studies content and the recent requirement to increase student exposure to informational text. The research used Lev Vygotsky's theory of social constructivism to provide a framework for the methods used in this paper. To address these problems, this study explored two third-grade and two fifth-grade language arts teachers' perceptions of integrating social studies text during their reading-language arts block. Further, the study observed teachers as they integrated social studies text to teach reading. Data for this case study were compiled from interviews, observations, and focus group discussions. The data were reviewed and coded to identify major themes and were then analyzed to generalize data findings. Teachers reported integrating social studies text afforded them the opportunity to maximize instructional time, teach the CCSS, and expose students to more informational text. Implications for positive social change include enabling teachers to identify the benefits of integrating social studies text during reading-language arts instruction and enabling minority students to increase their scores on the statewide social studies assessment.