The Spencer Foundation awarded nearly $40,000 to Tonia Land, Assistant Professor of Teaching and Learning, to research the mathematical thinking process of children.
Established in 1962, the Spencer Foundation has issued grants totaling near $250 million. Lyle M. Spencer funded the Foundation through a major endowment upon his death in 1968. The mission of the Spencer Foundation is to improve education. The Foundation makes education better through research, fellowship and training programs.
Dr. Land received a grant entitled, “Teachers’ Problem Posing Responses to Children’s Mathematical Thinking.” Her investigation will attempt to answer two research questions:
1. What is the developmental trajectory for the ways in which teachers respond to students through problem posing?
2. What role do resources (e.g., curriculum materials, problem-type frameworks, etc.) play in how teachers respond to students?
For more information about the Spencer Foundation, follow this link to their website.