Exploring the Connections Between Teaching Practices and Math Identities in Middle School Teachers

This study explored the connections between teaching practices and math identities in middle school teachers. In spite of the introduction of common core math standards, math instruction as a whole has had minimal changes in pedagogy on a large scale. Inequities exist in what type of student receives a strong conceptual foundation in math, and this study aimed to contribute to the explanation of why some teachers teach math the way they do. Through looking at teachers’ math experiences as students as well as how they taught math, this qualitative study hoped to explore the impact their math identity had on their pedagogy. This study consisted of ten teachers from opposite ends of the traditional and conceptual teaching spectrum and found differences in math identity between the two groups. Identity is personal and nuanced, and exploring those nuances led to an increased understanding of how their pedagogy connected to their own experiences in math, as well as their identity