Sheila Orr, a three-time Spartan and recent graduate of the Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education (CITE) Ph.D. program, is a recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Individual STEM Education Postdoctoral Fellowship. The $330,021 grant will fund Orr’s research exploring how mentor teachers and the families of PK-12 students can support future secondary mathematics teachers in learning about justice-oriented mathematics pedagogies.
In Spring 2024, NSF awarded 20 postdoctoral fellowships to scholars across the United States. Orr will conduct the research with her mentor, scholar and MSU alum Frances Harper (University of Tennessee).
“There is a culture of exclusion in math education,” said Orr. “Through a variety of factors, math has been used as a gatekeeper to stop students from their fullest potential.”
One of these factors is implicit bias, she noted.
Orr describes high school mathematics as traditionally being taught one way, which has resulted in many students – especially those from diverse backgrounds – being disengaged from classroom materials.
“Students check out from the material when they can’t do it the one singular way they are taught,” she said.
The two-year, multi-phase research project will build on work she started at MSU and will bring together mentor teachers and groups of students and their families to explore ways to support future teachers’ justice-oriented mathematics pedagogies. This initiative aims to give voice to students and their families to inform and inspire future secondary mathematics teachers, helping them develop new perspectives and insights on equitable classroom practices.
Orr will work with a several educators, students and families in Michigan as part of the project.
Fueled by experience
Orr spent nine years as a math teacher at Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan, where she taught a diverse population of students. This experience sparked her scholarly work.
“It made me ask: ‘How can we create classrooms that serve all our students?’” she said. Orr also recalled her previous curricula as a Spartan as being equity-minded, ultimately leading her to pursue her doctorate.
In May 2024, Orr was one of four College of Education students who received the first-ever Distinguished Graduate Student Award in Justice and Equity Pedagogy.
“Orr uses math as a bridge to connect with students and families to foster sociopolitical understanding, cultivate empathy and take action within their future classrooms,” said Assistant Professor Scott Farver, who co-created and co-facilitated the awards.
Following the fellowship, Orr hopes to continue her career in higher education as a tenured faculty member.