Rethinking STEM Education
Kari Kokka, assistant professor of mathematics education, School of Education
Kokka is rethinking how young people learn math and what they go on to do with math. Formerly a math teacher in New York public schools, she is using a grant from the National Science Foundation to help mathematics teachers learn to engage students, particularly students of color, in doing math tasks based on the world around them and relevant social issues.
“Students who learn academic content while investigating social inequities will ultimately take action in the pursuit of justice,” she says. “The goal is to change how students feel both about their abilities in mathematics and their abilities to create change toward an equitable society.”