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Graduate student peer-mentoring programs benefit participants by providing unique academic, social, psychological, and career development opportunities (Lorenzatti et al., 2019). However, the positive effects of research-oriented peer-mentoring programs are much better understood than teaching-oriented ones. In our poster, we consider mentees and mentors’ perceptions of effective mentoring in a teaching-oriented peer mentorship program. 

Many higher education institutions in the United States provide mathematics tutoring services for undergraduate students. These informal learning experiences generally result in increased final course grades (Byerly & Rickard, 2018; Rickard & Mills, 2018; Xu et al., 2014) and improved student attitudes toward mathematics (Bressoud et al., 2015). In recent years, research has explored the beliefs and practices of undergraduate and, sometimes graduate, peer tutors, both prior to (Bjorkman, 2018; Johns, 2019; Pilgrim et al., 2020) and during the COVID19 pandemic (Gyampoh et al., 2020; Mullen et al., 2021; Van Maaren et al., 2021). Additionally, Burks and James (2019) proposed a framework for Mathematical Knowledge for Tutoring Undergraduate Mathematics adapted from Ball et al. (2008) Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching, highlighting the distinction between tutor and teacher. The current study builds on this body of work on tutors’ beliefs by focusing on mathematical sciences graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who tutored in an online setting during the 2020-2021 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this study addresses the following research question: What were the mathematical teaching beliefs and practices of graduate student tutors participating in online tutoring sessions through the mathematics learning center (MLC) during the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Problem solving is a very important skill for students to learn (e.g., Bonilla-Rius, 2020; NGA, 2010), and part of developing problem solving skills is learning to persevere. One strategy for learning how to persevere is by providing students with materials that allow them the opportunity to engage with challenging problems (e.g., Kapur, 2010; Middleton et al., 2015). This study of the Volume unit of the AC2inG materials analyzes students’ strategies for problem solving and persevering. Findings from these think-aloud interviews indicate that different students will utilize one or more methods for solving challenging problems, such as asking clarifying questions, talking themselves through the problem, and attempting various mathematical approaches. 

Utilizing an innovative and theoretically-grounded approach, we extend the work of cognitive scientists and mathematics educators who have previously documented the impact of comparison on students’ learning in algebra with the goal of transforming the learning that occurs in eighth- grade geometry classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to examine the types of comparisons participants made during think aloud interviews when engaging with curricular materials that have them examine multiple solution strategies. This research seeks to extend the work of using comparisons in algebra to determine if using comparisons in geometry will help improve students’ mathematical understanding. 

Productive use of student mathematical thinking is a critical aspect of effective teaching that is not yet fully understood. We have previously conceptualized the teaching practice of building on student mathematical thinking and the four elements that comprise it. In this paper we begin to unpack this complex practice by looking closely at its third element, Conduct. Based on an analysis of secondary mathematics teachers’ enactments of building, we describe the critical aspects of conducting a whole-class discussion that is focused on making sense of a high-leverage student contribution. 

Access to free, high-quality, institutionally provided tutoring services can be critical to the success of university students. When the pandemic forced university tutoring operations to close or move online, many chose to move operations online. The Fall 2021 semester saw the return of in-person tutoring at many institutions; however, online options remained in place to serve students who may not be able to participate in-person. This created more equitable access to a critical student support. We collected data on which format students chose at two research focused institutions. At one institution, visits were split at 47% online and 53% in-person. In contrast, visits at the other institution were split at 5% online, and 95% in-person. We will discuss the courses with the highest usage in each format and explore why students may be choosing one format over the other. 

Research exploring how Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) serve Latin* STEM students has largely focused on features of organizational structures (e.g., support programs), but minimally examined instruction and classroom experiences. This is an important gap to fill, especially in gateway mathematics courses, where faculty relationships and quality of instruction impact Latin* students’ persistence and identities in STEM. To advance such research, this report presents findings from an analysis of how perspectives from HSI mathematics faculty and students about instruction in introductory statistics converged and diverged in terms of serving Latin* populations. We present two illustrative cases of dissonant and resonant perspectives on serving Latin* students through instruction that frames mathematical ability expansively (e.g., not limited to being fast or correct). We conclude with research and practice implications.