Across three studies and empirical papers, this dissertation focuses on the ways embodied, choreographic sense-making practices can expand the means and ends of STEM learning with respect to mathematics and computation. Specifically, this work demonstrates how practices for developing rule-based improvisational choreography map generatively onto…

Gestures--hand movements that accompany speech and express ideas--can help children learn how to solve problems, flexibly generalize learning to novel problem-solving contexts, and retain what they have learned. But does it matter who is doing the gesturing? We know that producing gesture leads to better comprehension of a message than watching…

Student engagement is an impactful component of student experience in mathematics classrooms and can shape academic and affective outcomes. The measurement of engagement in classroom settings has been limited to self-report measures or observational frameworks which privilege verbal participation. By conducting a microanalysis of two students'…

A central goal of lesson-centered professional development programs (PD) for mathematics teachers is to learn by constructing an artifact, for example, by designing and improving a lesson plan together. That leads to the questions, what does it mean, for mathematics teachers, to improve a lesson? And how can improvements be accounted for in the…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant change in college mathematics education toward online learning, which has advantages and disadvantages for students, instructors, and institutions. To ensure the effectiveness of online learning, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence its success. This study looks at the…

Science disciplines are inherently multimodal, involving written and spoken language, bodily gestures, symbols, diagrams, sketches, simulation and mathematical formalism. Studies have shown that explicit multimodal teaching approaches foster enhanced access to science disciplines. We examine multimodal classroom practices in a physics extended…

Over half of 4th grade students did not meet proficiency standards in mathematics on the National Assessment of Educational Performance in 2019 and this problem has persisted over time. This underachievement coupled with the numerous barriers to implementing evidence-based practices in schools reveals a need to provide a menu of effective…