Investigating the relationships among elementary teachers’ perceptions of the use of students’ thinking, their professional noticing skills, and their teaching practices

This study is an investigation of relationships among elementary teachers’ perceptions of the use of students’ thinking in instructional decision-making, their professional noticing skills, and their use of students’ thinking during instruction. Interviews were conducted with 33 participants using a two-part, semi-structured protocol and 25 teachers’ instructional videos were collected. The data were analyzed using the Mathematical Quality of Instruction instrument and grounded theory techniques including open coding, identification of themes, and the development and description of categories. Preliminary findings suggest that there is a relationship between elementary teachers’ perceptions of the use of students’ thinking and their professional noticing skills, but misalignment was found between teachers’ perceptions of the use of students’ thinking and their practices as observed in videos of their own teaching. Implications are discussed for teacher knowledge and the design of effective professional development programs to encourage productive use of students’ thinking in lesson planning and teaching.