New Distinguished Professor in Teacher Education

Amanda Jansen, a national expert in mathematics education and a dedicated educator, has been named Distinguished Professor of Teacher Education in the University of Delaware’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). This named professorship recognizes excellence in teacher education scholarship, teaching and service. Jansen, professor in CEHD’s School of Education (SOE), is the second UD professor to receive this prestigious honor.

“I am thrilled that Dr. Jansen received this named professorship for teacher education,” said Steve Amendum, professor and director of the SOE. “She has significantly impacted teacher education at UD and nationally, particularly through her research on ‘rough draft math,’ an innovative teaching approach that she developed. Through this and other lines of research, Dr. Jansen has had meaningful interactions with thousands of teachers in the field.”

Excellence in teacher education scholarship

Jansen’s research focuses on student engagement in mathematics classrooms and teachers’ instructional practices that motivate and engage students. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Jansen’s collaborative research often prioritizes both student and teacher voices and centers on partnerships with teachers, administrators and districts.

For example, in a recent NSF-funded project, Jansen and her co-authors examined how secondary mathematics teachers understand student engagement. With attention to teachers’ first-person narratives and reflections, this study offers educators a model for understanding student engagement as a multidimensional orientation so that they can facilitate deeper learning in their classrooms.

Borrowing ideas from the English language arts classroom, Jansen’s most recent book, Rough Draft Math: Revising to Learn, helps educators create a classroom where students learn math by talking and writing about their in-progress ideas. Since its publication in March 2020, the groundbreaking book has reached a national audience. With a team of UD researchers and doctoral students, Jansen continues to study how this transformative teaching approach impacts student learning, collaboration and confidence with the support of a new $1.7 million NSF grant.

“Launched by her brilliant idea of ‘rough-draft thinking’ in mathematics class, Dr. Jansen’s research program has yielded significant improvements to mathematics instruction in schools and has raised the profile of mathematics education at the University of Delaware,” said James Hiebert, professor emeritus in the SOE. “She has played a central role in building the graduate and undergraduate programs in mathematics education since her arrival as a young assistant professor from Michigan State University.”

Throughout her 21-year career at UD, Jansen has earned national and University recognition for her contributions to the field of mathematics education. For example, she received the Early Career Award from the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, the Linking Research to Practice Outstanding Publication Award from the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics and UD’s Excellence in Scholarly Community Engagement Award, as well as Outstanding Reviewer Awards from both the American Educational Research Journal and the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education.

Excellence in teaching and service

In addition to her research contributions, Jansen teaches in CEHD’s B.S.Ed. in elementary and middle school teacher education (EME) program and its Ph.D. in Education program, which both offer specializations in mathematics education. She has mentored many undergraduate and graduate students, modeling the principles she studies in her research with compassion and respect for every student.

“Dr. Jansen is an inspiring role model for how students should be treated and how teachers should lead,” said Laura Fenush, an EME student and research assistant. “She not only demonstrates her wide depth of content knowledge, but takes a main role as a facilitator in the classroom rather than a director, encouraging students to take charge of their learning. Dr. Jansen has been a supportive and empowering mentor, consistently offering me opportunities to try new things, have my voice heard and develop professionally.”

“Dr. Jansen is a scholar who really embodies what she teaches,” said Elena Silla, a Ph.D. in Education student and graduate research assistant. “She believes that our thinking is constantly evolving and that there is always more to learn from interacting with others. She also cultivates a sense of safety and acceptance within her research team and makes sure that all researchers, including graduate students, have a voice in projects.”

In addition to providing supportive teaching and mentorship, Jansen has had a lasting influence on the professional lives of her alumni, shaping their teaching and guiding their career trajectories.

“Dr. Jansen showed me how to make math accessible for all students in my class and encourage them to share all their thinking, even if it wasn’t 100% correct,” said Jax Myers, a middle school math teacher for Howard County Public School System in Maryland. “She was one of the biggest reasons I was able to be confident during my first year teaching middle school math.”

“I first met Dr. Jansen while I was teaching middle school mathematics at a local school in Delaware,” said Allison Gantt, now a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at The College of New Jersey. “Dr. Jansen’s mentorship, even before I entered CEHD’s doctoral program, was the reason I began my Ph.D in Education. She communicated to me that my ideas mattered, and it inspired me to continue thinking and to be brave in sharing that thinking with others. Dr. Jansen has exemplified how to reflect commitments of humanity and community within one’s academic pursuits, which I intend to bring to my own scholarship, teaching and community engagement.”

Jansen’s appointment as Distinguished Professor of Teacher Education began on September 1.

Article by Jessica Henderson. Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and Evan Krape.

Header photo caption: Professor Amanda Jansen speaks with students about their in-progress ideas at Milford Central Academy.