The Influence of a Situated Apprenticeship Model of Professional Development on High School Mathematics Educators’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Use of Reform-Minded Instructional Practices

Mathematics educators’ pedagogical decisions, impacted by educator knowledge and beliefs, are perhaps once of the most influential factors contributing to high school students’ understanding of and performance in mathematics. Research indicates that student outcomes in mathematics improve in classrooms where students experience reform-minded mathematics instruction. A sociocultural perspective of learning, for students and adults, promotes pedagogy that is grounded in collaboration and discourse. This study, employing a convergent mixed-methods research design, examined changes in high school mathematics teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and implementation of reform-minded mathematics instruction in response to a situated apprenticeship professional development intervention. Informed by needs assessment data suggesting that mathematics teachers favor traditional forms of mathematics instruction in place of reform-minded mathematics instruction, nine high school mathematics teachers participated in a professional development program that was situated in the participants’ context, involved active engagement, offered instructional support, and provided opportunities for collaboration and reflection. Significant changes in participants’ beliefs regarding reform-minded mathematics instruction and implementation of reform-minded instructional practices occurred. Study results also indicate that participants found value in the collaborative and supportive elements of the situated apprenticeship professional development program. Study implications include informing future professional development programing