Part 6:  Evidence of Research and Scholarship

a. Selected works for review period (full text)

b. Abstracts for additional publications, presentations, and grants

c. Evidence of Quality and Impact

d. Awards and honors

a. Selected works for review period (full text)

REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF SCHOLARLY WORK

Suh, J.M., Graham, S., Ferranone, T., Kopeinig, G. & Bertholet, B. (2011). Developing persistent and flexible problem solvers with a growth mindset. In D. J. Brahier, (Ed.), Motivation and Disposition: Pathways to Learning Mathematics, NCTM 2011 Yearbook, 169-184.

link to publication  This chapter describes design research conducted by a group of mathematics teachers and a university researcher who collaborated through Lesson Study, a form of professional development that focuses on research lessons. At the beginning of our Lesson Study, we developed our research aim and overarching goal: to develop persistent and flexible problem solvers. Through collaborative planning and designing of problem-driven lessons throughout the academic year, the teacher– researchers developed classroom communities of inquiry and specific strategies that promoted students’ persistence and flexible thinking in problem solving. Teachers observed marked progression in students’ productive dispositions to- ward mathematics throughout the school year. Students developed a “growth mindset” (Dweck 2006) focused on effort and persistence in learning mathematics. The Lesson Study model of professional development also influenced teachers’ instructional practices in developing persistent and flexible problem solvers.

Suh, J. M., Seshaiyer, P., Freeman, P.W. & Jamieson, T.S. (2011). Developing teachers' representational fluency and algebraic connections. In Wiest, L. R., & Lamberg, T. (Eds.).     Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. 738-746.
 
link to publication  This study examined the development of thirty-seven elementary and middle grades teachers’ algebraic connections and representational fluency during a six-month professional learning project. To evaluate the collaborative nature of designing professional development, the team of professional developers/researchers used the collective self-study method (Samaras & Freese, 2006) to examine how purposively designed experiences such as the content-focused institute in the summer with school-based follow-up Lesson Study cycles (Lewis, 2002) in the fall encouraged vertical articulation of algebraic connections. The analysis of teachers’ reflections from problem solving tasks and Lesson Study and researchers’ memos from observed research lessons revealed more flexibility in teachers’ representational fluency with problem solving strategies in the classrooms.

Suh, J.M. & Fulginiti, K.L. (2010). Developing mathematical potential in underrepresented populations through problem solving, math discourse and algebraic reasoning. Sense Publication, 67-79.

link to publication The following study explored strategies for developing mathematical potential and enhancing mathematics instruction for diverse learners from low socio-economics populations identified as “young scholars”. The intentional focus on designing and creating opportunities to foster mathematics potential and build collective knowledge influenced many of the pedagogical decisions made by the teacher and research in their jointly planned research lessons.  The most salient features in developing mathematics potential in these young scholars were giving opportunities to 1) engage in rich mathematical tasks and sequence related problems, b) use multiple representations to develop representational fluency and c) develop mathematical communication where reasoning and proof and sense making became a habit of mind and the focus of classroom discussion.

Suh, J. M. & Parker, J. (2010). Developing reflective practitioners through Lesson Study with pre-service and in-service teachers. AMTE monograph. VII. Mathematics Teaching: Putting Research into Practice at All Levels. Associations of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 125-140.

link to publication   This case study describes pre-service teachers collaboratively planning and reflecting with cooperating teachers and other educators at their clinical site. Using lesson study as the professional development structure, preservice teachers worked with classroom teachers, resource specialists and mathematics educators while being immersed in authentic teaching situations that revealed complex pedagogical issues and factors impacting the teaching and learning of mathematics. Qualitative analysis of teacher interviews, reflections, classroom observations, and planning documents revealed several unique outcomes including developing mathematical knowledge for teaching through a reciprocal learning process; revealing specific gaps in mathematical knowledge for teaching among preservice teachers and increasing preservice teachers’ awareness of the complexity of teaching and reflective practice. Finally, the study identifies specific critical norms for ensuring the success of lesson study among preservice and practicing teachers.

Suh, J.M. (2010a). Leveraging cognitive technology tools to expand opportunities for critical thinking on data analysis and probability in elementary classrooms. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching 29(3), 289-302.                  

link to publication  The following case studies describe technology-enhanced mathematics lessons in two diverse fifth and sixth grade classrooms at a Title I elementary school near the metropolitan area. The project’s primary goal was to design tasks to both leverage technology and enhance access to critical thinking in mathematics, particularly with data analysis and probability concepts. This paper highlights the opportunities that technology-rich mathematics environments. In addition, the case studies illustrate how to design and implement mathematical tasks using technology to provide opportunities for higher mathematical thinking processes as defined by the Process Standards of the national Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2000): problem solving, connections, representations, communication, reasoning and proof.

Suh, J.M. (2010b). Tech-knowledgy for diverse learners [Technology Focus Issue]. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School in Mathematics Education, 15(8), 440-447.

link to publication   To leverage cognitive tech tools for mathematics teaching and learning, teachers must consider the needs of diverse learners and be equipped to support their learning difficulties by taking advantage of this technology. Most important, teachers must have “tech-knowledgy”: the knowledge necessary to use cognitive tech tools effectively to construct mathematical knowledge, evaluate the mathematical opportunities presented, and design learning tasks with these tools that amplify the mathematics.

Suh, J. M., & Moyer-Packenham, P. S. (2007). Developing students’ representational fluency using virtual and physical algebra balances. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching. 26 (2), 155-173.

link to publication  This classroom project involved two groups of third-grade students in a week-long unit focusing on algebraic relationships. The purpose of the unit was to engage students with different algebraic models and encourage students to use in- formal strategies to represent their relational thinking. The paper highlights examples of these student representations as evidence of the children’s developing algebraic thinking. Result from the pre and posttest measures showed that students in the physical and virtual manipulative environments gained significantly in achievement and showed flexibility in translating and representing their understanding in multiple representations: manipulative model, pictorial, numeric, and word problems. The researchers recorded field notes, interviewed students, and videotaped class sessions in order to identify unique features of the learning environments. The virtual environment had unique features that promoted student thinking such as: (a) explicit linking of visual and symbolic modes; (b) guided step-by-step support in algorithmic processes; and (c) immediate feedback and self-checking system. In the physical environment, some unique features were: (a) tactile features; (b) opportunities for invented strategies; and (c) mental mathematics. These results show that although the different manipulative models had different features, both the physical and virtual environments were effective in sup- porting students’ learning and encouraging relational thinking and algebraic reasoning.

b. Abstracts for additional publications, presentations, and grants     

c. Evidence of Quality and Impact

d. Awards and honors

Recognition. In March 2011, I received an internal nomination letter from the Associate Provost for Faculty Development and the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence for the Rising Star Outstanding Faculty Award (OFA) sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV). The OFA program recognizes and rewards excellence in teaching, research and scholarship and public service among Virginia Institutions. Although I did not win this award, the nomination was a great honor and recognition of my accomplishments in teaching, research and scholarship and public service.