A Mathematics Teacher’s Journey of Identity Construction and Change

• Main Author: Anthony Stinson
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Georgia Southern University 2014-01-01
• Series: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gamte-proceedings/vol8/iss1/7

Despite some gains, improving mathematics instruction remains an area of concern in the United States. The implementation of the Common Core Standards and the challenge of teaching the 21st Century student require mathematics teachers to examine their pedagogy to determine if they need to change or improve their practices. This paper provides a personal account of my journey when determining my identity as a mathematics teacher and how constructing my identity helped in changing and improving my practices as a mathematics teacher. The study was done using autoethnography, a burgeoning research method, and identity theory. This study has the goals of giving “voice” to the classroom teacher and providing a practical method for improving instruction. The findings indicate that my identity is composed of many facets, and my identity is a key factor underlying who I am as a mathematics teacher. The findings also resulted in the development of the Math Madness Model (M3) Instrument, which can facilitate self-studies by other mathematics classroom teachers and educators with the purpose of improving their practices.