Thirty-First International Conference on Learning

Abstract

This qualitative case study presents findings of the approaches that one pre-service teacher (PST) used during practicum teaching when providing instruction for a mathematics unit with three fourth-grade students who had behavioral and/or academic challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the planning, reflections, and decision-making of this unique PST who was able to engage students successfully as they learned about and “proved their thinking” about properties of geometric shapes. The study examined how her approaches aligned with (a) high-leverage practices for students with exceptionalities and (b) classroom conditions that promote an environment for positive student behaviors. Four themes with multiple sub-themes emerged from the data analysis: purposeful planning for student needs and to create a team culture, frequent assessment to inform instruction, intentional instructional decision-making to adapt pedagogical approaches with flexibility, and encouragement of group work to share student thinking. The results suggest that this PST was able to focus on the social context of teaching—understanding her students’ personalities as well as learning needs and building a discursive community of learners—in order to aid students in their productive interaction with each other while learning math concepts. The outcome from implementing these student-centered approaches was that the students helped each other learn and resolved conflicts among themselves, thus having an equitable opportunity to learn. Teacher educators can use this case study to help PSTs understand the application of high-leverage practices in the classroom and create positive classroom conditions to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities.