Date of Award:

5-2026

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

Committee Chair(s)

Jessica Shumway

Committee

Jessica Shumway

Committee

Michelle Frierson

Committee

Tye Campbell

Committee

Shireen Keyl

Committee

Maggie Chan

Abstract

Though research on effective mathematics instructional strategies is robust, there remains a gap between research and the instruction that takes place in mathematics classrooms. One such effective instructional practice—mathematical student discourse (MSD)—has been extensively researched, but little research has looked holistically at the ecological factors that interact to influence teacher decision-making for this practice. In this qualitative multiple-case dissertation study using Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as a theoretical lens, I conducted semi-structured interviews with three elementary teachers who teach mathematics in districts across northern Utah. These interviews utilized the researcher-created Ecological Factors Map to explore how teachers described the interplay of factors within their ecological systems and the influence of these factors on their implementation of MSD. I conducted a thematic analysis of the interviews, triangulated with data collected from interviews with school and district administrators and classroom observations. 

The findings outline within-case themes from each teacher’s interview. Taylor was a fifth-grade teacher who expressed feelings of dissonance between his personal beliefs about mathematics instruction and pressures from external expectations for his teaching. He shared negative views toward standardized testing and state expectations and policies. Sarah was a first-grade teacher who described a flexible framework of expectations that allowed her to exercise instructional freedom and focus on the needs of her students using MSD. Carmen was a first-grade dual-language immersion teacher who uses MSD to serve her students and described a lack of tension between this form of teaching and outside expectations. 

After developing the within-case themes, I performed a cross-case synthesis to develop themes spanning the three cases. These cross-case themes are: (1) instructional freedom, (2) interpretation of expectations, and (3) internal motivations. The study found that each teacher experienced these themes in unique and interacting ways. These findings highlight the complexity of teacher decision-making and show that various factors within each participant’s environment interact to affect their decision-making. The study concludes with a discussion of the value of viewing teacher experiences through an ecological lens, implications for future research, methodological contributions of the study, and recommendations for district and state educational leaders.

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