skip to main content


This content will become publicly available on November 9, 2025

Title: Examining equity-oriented instructional practices in a developmental algebra project to support undergraduate students’ equity outcomes
The Thinking With Algebra (TWA) project, which consists of a developmental algebra curriculum and supporting professional development, has been integrated into diverse algebra courses to support undergraduate students’ success in college algebra (Feikes et al., 2024). This paper examines the equity-oriented instructional practices integrated into TWA to support strengthened equity outcomes among students. This project draws on sociopolitical equity scholarship (Rubel, 2017), including a framework consisting of achievement, access, identity, and power (Gutiérrez, 2012). Instructor and student data indicate positive changes in student achievement and identity outcomes. Future directions include expanding the integration of equity-oriented instructional practices and investigation of student equity outcomes. Applying an equity lens to TWA is critical given the barriers students, particularly minoritized students, face in algebra.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2021414
NSF-PAR ID:
10548151
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Proceedings of the 46th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education
Date Published:
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
Equity
Format(s):
Medium: X
Location:
Cleveland, OH
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Walker, WS ; Bryan, L A ; Guzey, SS (Ed.)
    The Thinking With Algebra (TWA) curriculum, a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 2021414), applies a sociopolitical equity framework (Gutiérrez, 2012) to strengthen student participants’ mathematics achievement outcomes and mathematics identity development. Instructor and student data indicate improvements in these two dimensions. This project also expands knowledge about creating equitable math learning environments that support underrepresented students’ mathematical success. 
    more » « less
  2. Thinking With Algebra (TWA) is a curriculum development project for college students needing introductory/intermediate algebra. Unique guiding principles of the project are a focus on algebraic structure, mixed review, equity, and a classroom approach emphasizing small-group work and whole- class discussion (Feikes et al., 2022). Results are derived from a survey given to one class of fifteen students taking an intermediate algebra summer course. The paper shares both Likert and open-ended responses. Data demonstrates that the students believed that the TWA curriculum was beneficial. 
    more » « less
  3. W. S. Walker, III (Ed.)
    Thinking With Algebra (TWA) is a curriculum development project for college students needing introductory/intermediate algebra. Unique guiding principles of the project are a focus on algebraic structure, mixed review, equity, and a classroom approach emphasizing small-group work and whole- class discussion (Feikes et al., 2022). Results are derived from a survey given to one class of fifteen students taking an intermediate algebra summer course. The paper shares both Likert and open-ended responses. Data demonstrates that the students believed that the TWA curriculum was beneficial. 
    more » « less
  4. Walker, WS ; Bryan, LA ; Guzey, E (Ed.)
    Thinking With Algebra (TWA) is a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 2021414) to develop a post-secondary curriculum for intermediate algebra. TWA focuses on six elements that align with building algebraic fluency with conceptual understanding, a mixed review approach, small-group work, and whole-class discussion (Feikes, et al., 2021). Using an equity lens (Oppland-Cordell et al., 2024), TWA is designed for students, including underrepresented students, who need additional mathematical supports at the college level. Seventeen college math instructors attended a workshop on the lessons and pedagogy in order to use TWA in their college courses. Feedback from instructors participating in the TWA first-year faculty workshop indicated that the curriculum was used in many different ways to help prepare students for college algebra and other STEM courses. 
    more » « less
  5. A. Lischka, E. Dyer (Ed.)
    Mathematical modeling can be a lever for equity in the elementary math classroom, as it empowers teachers to build on the knowledge and cultural resources that children bring to the classroom and empowers students to draw on their experiences and identities to inform their mathematical work. To better support this transformative synergy between mathematical modeling and equity-oriented practices, we need a tool to deepen our understanding of variations and potential trajectories of teacher practice. In this report, we briefly describe our process for developing an equity-oriented mathematical modeling classroom observation protocol. We then discuss two sample dimensions from our tool to illustrate our integrated attention to equity-focused and mathematical modeling-specific teaching practices. 
    more » « less