Lexi Uknis

As an extension of previous research done to redesign the curriculum for a mathematics content course for prospective middle and high school teachers, the purpose of this research was to analyze the effectiveness of the redesigned curriculum. This research came as a result of the perceived misalignment of the available course textbooks with middle and secondary content standards. Following the methodology put forth by J. Creswell, reflective journal entries written during the course were analyzed for themes regarding course efficacy. From this analysis, we discovered themes with high prevalence that could dictate the ways in which the course could change. The top three prevalent themes included a positive response to activities with collaborative aspects, the opportunity to share perspectives, and activities with a wide range of difficulty levels. Most notably, the research uncovered this course’s most pressing issue: the lack of simultaneous accommodation for both middle and secondary prospective teachers content needs. Further research will involve searching for texts that are guided by both middle and high school content standards, analyzing qualitative data taken from the class, and revising the curriculum for future offerings.