Dr. Teomara (Teya) Rutherford

Finally got a decline on a grant I submitted in June of 2024 where one of the reviewers slammed me for not including research that came out three months after I submitted the grant. Um, ok...

A flyer describing the current study. It says: Interested in Belonging-Centered Instruction? We are looking for middle- and high-school math teachers to participate in a study examining the relationship between Belonging-Centered Instruction and mathematical thinking and learning. The study will take place in Spring / Fall 2025. What you will be asked to do: Meet with our research team to discuss our study goals and your interests; record 3 math lessons and share them with our research team; lead students through math survey and assessments (~30 minutes), all data and information will be kept confidential. Benefits of participating: Participating teachers will receive a $100 gift card as a thank you for participating; We will work with you to provide resources, information, and support regarding Belonging-Centered Instruction. It also provides information about the PIs: Elena Silla is a PhD candidate studying Education at the University of Delaware. She is also a former 4th grade teacher. Dr. Christina Areizaga Barbieri is an associate professor of education at the University of Delaware. Please contact Elena Silla (esilla@udel.edu) if interested!

Education colleagues: I am partnering with middle- and high-school math teachers in DE, PA, and MD to look at how belonging-supportive instruction shapes students' math experiences (see infographic). Teachers can participate in 2025 or early 2026. Please share w/ teachers who may be interested!

Beyond Behaviorism: Why Student Motivation Matters (opinion) Understanding the science behind motivation is crucial for supporting student learning, Katie Muenks and Carlton Fong write.

Co-authored with @drmuenks.bsky.social, our @insidehighered.com piece "Beyond Behaviorism: Why Motivation Matters" is out!

We reject behaviorist principles and argue that understanding the science behind motivation is crucial for supporting student learning.

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

They found some, but they aren't the good kind. Sad that I go to enough conferences that I have an opinion on "the good kind" of lanyard

Folks going to #APA2025, they have already run out of lanyards at registration. If you haven't left home yet, you may want to bring your own.
Not sure how this happens. Seems a pretty huge error.

My accomplishment in self-regulation today is reading someone post on a forum that they are an "auditory learner" and being able to hold off replying with a slew of anti-learning styles evidence.
It wouldn't have been helpful or well received in that moment and I'm feeling good I could resist.

I felt that way about their fries until I learned you can order them well done. Still not better than Wendy's fries though.

Most of what I clocked was lots and lots of sexism on display (and dismissal if they were called on it).

It's taken me a while to decompress from #AERA25 and one thing I took away from the conference is that the mood has certainly shifted. Many people were emboldened to proclaim their bigotry loudly and proudly. 😢

Grateful to share that my very first, first-authored manuscript has been published! Thanks to my advisors & community❤️It feels surreal to have added a very small piece to the field that I care about so much. Check out my highlights and read more about it here:
journals.uchicago.edu/eprint/KVUY6...

Thank you!

Yes! None of that "I'll just use my teacher voice" stuff.

As everyone gets ready for #AERA25, I make another anti-ableism plea:
If you talk the talk w/anti-ableist practices, show you walk the walk. The very least you can do is wear a mask on the plane.
Bonus if you wear one in the airport and at #AERA2025 too. But PLEASE at least wear one on the plane.😷=❤️

What is everyone doing with all their free time with zoom being down?

Exploring domain-general and course-specific latent profiles of motivation in computer science Although achievement motivation theories like the Situated Expectancy–Value Theory highlight domain-general and course-specific motivation, few studie…

📚 Check out our new study with Sandy, @drteyar.bsky.social, @rebeccajcollie.bsky.social, and Cory: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...!

🧐 Still curious to learn more? Come to our 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ AERA talk:
⏰ April 26th at 11:40-1:10 PM
📍The Colorado Convention Center, Bluebird Ballroom Room 3C

screenshot of the iPoster interactive system showing where a pdf can be uploaded.

Because #AERA25 posters are due this week, here is one last ask:
Please make a non-interactive poster so people don't have to touch it, multiple people can see at once, and viewers don't have to get close.
Easiest way is to upload a pdf. iPosters are ugly anyway 😉

A screenshot of the AERA iPoster format showing that if you scroll past the templates you are able to choose to upload your own pdf

Another plea to please just make a regular poster for #AERA25. Walk the walk with accessibility even if @aeraedresearch.bsky.social is not.
Avoid the ableist iPoster format and upload a regular pdf so multiple people can see from a distance and no one has to touch your poster--no scrolling!

The iPoster format for #AERA25 is terrible and gross. It is very difficult to use in person for anyone with vision or mobility issues and it also encourages germy spread.
PSA: Upload a pdf of a normal poster that doesn't require user interaction to allow access to your work by all attendees.

As a grad student, getting a spot to attend one of these lunches was a highlight of my conference. It's surreal to be on the other side! I hope that I can facilitate some fun lunch conversations with the up and coming Mot researchers who join. 💞

We have heaps of data on elementary students' career desires provided in open-ended surveys.
There are always some who aren't keen to provide actual careers, and that's fine.
A few favorites from the current batch:
--shrek worshipper
--dodo butt
--a potato

Windows updated and now the text when I hover is twice as large. Is this an AI guessing how old I am?

Happy to share my problem sets if you message me.

Have they thought of banding together and providing requests for a reasonable working environment? 😊

But then you do the bulk of the work (all the reviews) for potentially no compensation (at least that's what happened with IES).

In exit interviews almost all Ts noted they now used ChatGPT outside of the study, using prompting methods they learned in study sessions
They also noted being more attuned to student interests and including them in lessons
Wanted more PD where they could see successful use cases from other Ts
(4/4)

Example board game images created by ChatGPT. They are only partial images and have nonsense words.

We also analyzed lesson creation process
Some teachers were hesitant to use ChatGPT; only 1/8 had used it before
All found it useful, but were surprised at some of its limitations
Ts appreciated coaching to learn about prompting
Ts wished that it created more finished products (images useless)
(3/4)

Theory of change for the study. GPT Lessons and Process feed increased teacher knowledge of student interests and creation of engaging/relatable lessons. Increased knowledge supports better T/S relationships and teachers making more connections with self, students, and math. Lessons support use of non-standard examples. Better relationships supports improved feedback and through this, stronger competence beliefs. More connections and use of non-standard examples supports increased student value for math. All inform more positive emotions in math for students.

We examined how creating mot-supportive lessons w ChatGPT would improve Ts mot-supporting practices, Ss emotions, motivation, & engagement
Found Ts used more relevance messages, non-standard examples, and gave more specific feedback
Ss were less bored and used more positive words about lesson
(2/4)

Screen shot of article title page. Article is titled "I just think it is the way of the future": Teachers' use of ChatGPT to develop motivationally-supportive math lessons

New OA Publication!
Our team worked with elem. teachers to use ChatGPT to enhance their mathematics lessons based on students’ interests.
It was a team effort (researchers and teachers) and I’m proud of the result
#MathEd #GenAI #EdTech #EdPsych
doi.org/10.1016/j.ca...
(1/4)

Lab members' epistemology "score" on a number line from zero (constructivist) to 15 (positivist). Scores range from two to nine. Names are redacted.

This year I created a little research "course" for my lab. Wk 2 was Why We Ask The Qs We Do.
In this wk, we all completed a little epistemology quiz. Lower is more constructivist, higher more positivist (names redacted). Then, we asked "I wonder" Qs and discussed how our Qs related to our beliefs.

I just got one too. So sad. All the sunk cost from both proposers and reviewers in addition to the harm to our students from missing out on the innovations and research.