Phase 2: Implementing

Co-Designing and Documenting Teachers’ Enhanced Learning

Working with experienced math teachers offers a unique opportunity for us as researchers to understand the challenges of ambitious instruction. Through our VFF conversations, we can document teachers’ sensemaking about this work.

To document teachers’ learning, we collect a variety of data to help us understand (a) teachers’ current understandings of ambitious practice, and (b) the local learning resources at their schools. These include the content-based learning standards, curricular materials, student assessments, formal system and organizational positions, and organizational routines.

To document teachers’ understandings,  we conduct interviews during our initial visit about their learning goals and the resources and challenges they see in their work.

After each VFF cycle is complete, we meet with the MfA LA partners to reflect on and refine the research design. The MfA LA partners conduct additional VFF cycles, with our remote support, as they learn to use this practice independent of the research team.

At the end of the academic year, we invite participating teachers’ feedback on the VFF cycles and ask for ideas about other ways to help teachers meet their learning goals. 

Teachers also have a chance to revisit their visions of high-quality mathematics instruction and their views of students’ mathematical capabilities. This allows them to see and document changes in their thinking that occurred over the course of the year.