Elementary

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.

Teacher Feedback Guiding Professional Development Programs: A 2-Year Field Trial Integrating Science and Language with Multilingual Learners

Since the release of A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there has been an urgent need for teacher professional development (PD) programs that support the implementation of NGSS-aligned curriculum materials and address the unique strengths and needs of diverse student groups, including multilingual learners (MLs). The purpose of this study is to describe how teacher feedback guided the design and refinement of our curriculum-based PD program integrating science and language with MLs through a 2-year field trial.

Author/Presenter

Okhee Lee

Alison Haas

Abigail Schwenger

Scott Grapin

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

Since the release of A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there has been an urgent need for teacher professional development (PD) programs that support the implementation of NGSS-aligned curriculum materials and address the unique strengths and needs of diverse student groups, including multilingual learners (MLs). The purpose of this study is to describe how teacher feedback guided the design and refinement of our curriculum-based PD program integrating science and language with MLs through a 2-year field trial.

Should We…? Embracing Justice-Oriented Climate Education in Elementary Science Teacher Preparation

Teacher preparation programs need to consider how to support elementary science teachers in developing their knowledge related to environmental and climate justice. Working with children to determine steps they can take together with their community to address and mitigate local environmental justice issues can seem daunting, especially if teachers have not had opportunities to plan and adapt lessons with these goals in mind. We describe a series of lessons for preservice teachers on environmental justice, including climate justice, and climate change.

Author/Presenter

Jessica Bautista

Elizabeth A. Davis

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

Teacher preparation programs need to consider how to support elementary science teachers in developing their knowledge related to environmental and climate justice. Working with children to determine steps they can take together with their community to address and mitigate local environmental justice issues can seem daunting, especially if teachers have not had opportunities to plan and adapt lessons with these goals in mind. We describe a series of lessons for preservice teachers on environmental justice, including climate justice, and climate change.

Leveraging Children’s Multicultural Literature to Support Students’ Math Identity and Problem Solving

This article explores how multicultural children’s literature for elementary classrooms can be leveraged to develop students’ mathematical understanding and foster positive math identities, particularly for multilingual learners. By integrating diverse stories into mathematics instruction, teachers can create culturally relevant contexts that invite meaningful problem-solving in tandem with rich mathematical discourse.

Author/Presenter

Suzanne Abdelrahim

Margarita Jiménez-Silva

Rachel Restani

Robin Martin

Tony Albano

Year
2025
Short Description

This article explores how multicultural children’s literature for elementary classrooms can be leveraged to develop students’ mathematical understanding and foster positive math identities, particularly for multilingual learners. By integrating diverse stories into mathematics instruction, teachers can create culturally relevant contexts that invite meaningful problem-solving in tandem with rich mathematical discourse.

How Teaching Practices Relate to Early Mathematics Competencies: A Non-Linear Modeling Perspective

The significance of children’s mathematical competence during the early years is well established; however, the methods for developing such competencies remain less understood. Specifically, there is a need to identify what constitutes high-quality educational environments and effective instruction.

Author/Presenter

Yixiao Dong

Douglas H. Clements

Christina Mulcahy

Julie Sarama

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

The significance of children’s mathematical competence during the early years is well established; however, the methods for developing such competencies remain less understood. Specifically, there is a need to identify what constitutes high-quality educational environments and effective instruction. This study employed innovative analytical techniques to evaluate the scoring and interpretation of an existing domain-specific observational measure: the Classroom Observation of Early Mathematics Environment and Teaching (COEMET).

Discontinuities that Arise When Designing for Educational Improvement at State Scale

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Author/Presenter

Michelle Stephan

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Holt Wilson

Katherine Mawhinney

Year
2025
Short Description

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Discontinuities that Arise When Designing for Educational Improvement at State Scale

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Author/Presenter

Michelle Stephan

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Holt Wilson

Katherine Mawhinney

Year
2025
Short Description

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Discontinuities that Arise When Designing for Educational Improvement at State Scale

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Author/Presenter

Michelle Stephan

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Holt Wilson

Katherine Mawhinney

Year
2025
Short Description

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Discontinuities that Arise When Designing for Educational Improvement at State Scale

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Author/Presenter

Michelle Stephan

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Holt Wilson

Katherine Mawhinney

Year
2025
Short Description

This paper explores the tensions—or discontinuities—that arise when designing for educational improvement at scale through research-practice partnerships (RPPs). Focusing on a statewide mathematics education initiative, the authors examine the complexities of coordinating work across diverse communities of practice and analyze how identity, power, and meaning-making impact collaborative problem definition.

Developing Prospective Teachers’ Language-Expansive Noticing

Enacting reform-oriented, phenomenon-based instruction provides us an opportunity to more equitably teach science. Particularly, our teaching can be stronger when we elicit, notice and then use all students’ ideas and questions to inform how students collaborate to figure out phenomena. However, this is only possible if we learn to expansively notice the many language resources multilingual students have available for sharing their thinking, which requires teachers to see and hear beyond what has been traditionally privileged in school spaces.

Author/Presenter

María González-Howard

Carla Robinson

Sage Andersen

Mariana Vazquez Esparza

Nireyda Rodriguez

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2025
Short Description

Enacting reform-oriented, phenomenon-based instruction provides us an opportunity to more equitably teach science. Particularly, our teaching can be stronger when we elicit, notice and then use all students’ ideas and questions to inform how students collaborate to figure out phenomena. However, this is only possible if we learn to expansively notice the many language resources multilingual students have available for sharing their thinking, which requires teachers to see and hear beyond what has been traditionally privileged in school spaces. In this piece, we describe how we draw upon translanguaging theory and pedagogy to prepare prospective teachers to teach science with multilingual students.