Date of Award
Summer 2025
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Kristin Harbour
Abstract
Professional learning communities (PLCs) are designed to improve learning outcomes for all students through educator collaboration. Guided by systems theory and supported by social cognitive, social practice and change theories, this longitudinal participatory action research study explored the development of an interdepartmental PLC, and its impact on mathematics teachers’ practices and students’ performance. Additionally, this study explored the relationship between participation in the PLC and participants’ collective efficacy. The study was conducted at a school for students with learning disabilities. The PLC included Grade 5 and Grade 6 mathematics teachers, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, a mathematics specialist, reading specialists and an administrator (n = 13), and the Grade 5 and Grade 6 students of the mathematics teacher participants in the PLC (n = 76). An 8-month long, 10-hour interdepartmental PLC was designed to improve teacher practices and student outcomes in solving word problems. The PLC intervention combined research-based methods in mathematics education and special education to support student thinking, language development, and executive functioning skills as students implemented word problem solving strategies. Student work was examined and the strengths of the PLC participants were leveraged to recommend effective strategies to support students. In this embedded mixed-methods study, quantitative methods were used to analyze data and qualitative methods were used to provide deeper insight. Findings showed growth in the development of the PLC, mathematics teachers’ practices and the mathematical performance of students with disabilities. Implications for practice and research indicate collaboration between mathematics education and special education for professional development is a promising approach and further studies in different school settings are needed.
Rights
© 2025, Dawn Pilotti
Recommended Citation
Pilotti, D.(2025). Developing Mathematical Thinking and Reasoning for Students with Disabilities Through Professional Learning Communities. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8467