Broadening Participation

Creating Inclusive PreK–12 STEM Learning Environments

Brief CoverBroadening participation in PreK–12 STEM provides ALL students with STEM learning experiences that can prepare them for civic life and the workforce.

Author/Presenter

Malcom Butler

Cory Buxton

Odis Johnson Jr.

Leanne Ketterlin-Geller

Catherine McCulloch

Natalie Nielsen

Arthur Powell

Year
2018
Short Description

This brief offers insights from National Science Foundation-supported research for education leaders and policymakers who are broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM). Many of these insights confirm knowledge that has been reported in research literature; however, some offer a different perspective on familiar challenges.

Culturally Responsive Mathematics Engagement Through a Family-Inspired Mathematizing Routine

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Author/Presenter

Jennifer M. Suh

Stephanie C. Calabrese

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Culturally Responsive Mathematics Engagement Through a Family-Inspired Mathematizing Routine

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Author/Presenter

Jennifer M. Suh

Stephanie C. Calabrese

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Culturally Responsive Mathematics Engagement Through a Family-Inspired Mathematizing Routine

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Author/Presenter

Jennifer M. Suh

Stephanie C. Calabrese

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Culturally Responsive Mathematics Engagement Through a Family-Inspired Mathematizing Routine

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Author/Presenter

Jennifer M. Suh

Stephanie C. Calabrese

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

There is a need for research on effective classroom strategies available for teachers that promote equitable school-family collaborations. Such effective strategies are needed in general but also specifically in the area of content, skill acquisition, and positive dispositions in early mathematics. This exploratory qualitative study looked at a mathematical routine, focused on family-provided photos and artifacts, that elicited children’s mathematical and general observations and inquiries and engaged families in mathematical communications.

Toward a Framework of Culturally Relevant Science and Mathematics Pedagogy: A Pedagogical and Analytical Tool for Teacher Education

In this article, we present a framework of culturally relevant science and mathematics pedagogy (CRSMP), which is grounded in the tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy. It delineates practices ranging from the most accessible and easy-to-implement, to the most challenging and often contentious ways to teach mathematics and science. We provide examples of CRSMP that re-position marginalized learners in relation to science and mathematics.

Author/Presenter

Paula A. Magee

Craig Willey

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

In this article, we present a framework of culturally relevant science and mathematics pedagogy (CRSMP), which is grounded in the tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy. It delineates practices ranging from the most accessible and easy-to-implement, to the most challenging and often contentious ways to teach mathematics and science.

Equity-Focused, Rubric-based Coaching: An Incremental Improvement Approach to Supporting Teachers to Shift Toward More Equitable Mathematics Instruction

Historically, inequities in mathematics education have resulted in mathematics classrooms that do not support all students, and particularly students from marginalized backgrounds. Efforts to transform mathematics classrooms to be culturally responsive, sustaining, and justice-oriented have met limited success at scale. It may be that supporting teachers to develop more equitable teaching practices would benefit from a more incremental improvement approach.

Author/Presenter

Erica Litke

Jonee Wilson

Heather C. Hill

Year
2025
Short Description

This article considers how school-based mathematics coaches can support teachers to make incremental shifts toward more equitable instruction. We describe a coaching model designed to include elements of incremental improvement, in which coaches and teachers analyze video against a set of rubrics that delineate equitable teaching practices.

Equity-Focused, Rubric-based Coaching: An Incremental Improvement Approach to Supporting Teachers to Shift Toward More Equitable Mathematics Instruction

Historically, inequities in mathematics education have resulted in mathematics classrooms that do not support all students, and particularly students from marginalized backgrounds. Efforts to transform mathematics classrooms to be culturally responsive, sustaining, and justice-oriented have met limited success at scale. It may be that supporting teachers to develop more equitable teaching practices would benefit from a more incremental improvement approach.

Author/Presenter

Erica Litke

Jonee Wilson

Heather C. Hill

Year
2025
Short Description

This article considers how school-based mathematics coaches can support teachers to make incremental shifts toward more equitable instruction. We describe a coaching model designed to include elements of incremental improvement, in which coaches and teachers analyze video against a set of rubrics that delineate equitable teaching practices.

Equity-Focused, Rubric-based Coaching: An Incremental Improvement Approach to Supporting Teachers to Shift Toward More Equitable Mathematics Instruction

Historically, inequities in mathematics education have resulted in mathematics classrooms that do not support all students, and particularly students from marginalized backgrounds. Efforts to transform mathematics classrooms to be culturally responsive, sustaining, and justice-oriented have met limited success at scale. It may be that supporting teachers to develop more equitable teaching practices would benefit from a more incremental improvement approach.

Author/Presenter

Erica Litke

Jonee Wilson

Heather C. Hill

Year
2025
Short Description

This article considers how school-based mathematics coaches can support teachers to make incremental shifts toward more equitable instruction. We describe a coaching model designed to include elements of incremental improvement, in which coaches and teachers analyze video against a set of rubrics that delineate equitable teaching practices.

Productive Problem-Solving Behaviors of Students with Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to explore the problem-solving behaviors of middle-school students with learning disabilities (SLD). Think-aloud interviews were performed with 20 seventh- and eighth-grade students who had learning disabilities to observe their behaviors while solving mathematical word problems (i.e., behaviors and patterns of behaviors). Themes emerged from qualitative analysis indicating that the students engaged in problem-solving behaviors, as well as common patterns of behaviors.

Author/Presenter

Emily Evans

Jonathan Bostic

Sean Yee

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

The purpose of this study was to explore the problem-solving behaviors of middle-school students with learning disabilities (SLD). Think-aloud interviews were performed with 20 seventh- and eighth-grade students who had learning disabilities to observe their behaviors while solving mathematical word problems (i.e., behaviors and patterns of behaviors).