Research

I have developed my research agenda around the study of mathematics identity––one’s socially negotiated sense of belonging to mathematics and ways of being in relation to mathematics. In not so many words, mathematics identity can be thought of as whether someone identifies as a "math person" or not, and who they are in relation to mathematics as a result. This research area is important because the mathematics identity of a learner affects whether they are likely to pursue STEM fields (Cribbs et al., 2021), the mathematics identity of a teacher affects whether they may adopt best teaching practices (Drake et al., 2001), and the mathematics identity of a preservice teacher influences who they become as a mathematics teacher (Caviness & Masingila, 2023; Caviness, Under Review; Liang et al., 2023). Furthermore, one's mathematics identity shapes their sociopolitical understanding of what counts as doing mathematics, what it means to be "good" at mathematics, and whose mathematical knowledge is valued (Berry, 2008; Darragh, 2015; Gutiérrez et al., 2023).

My recent research has focused on better understanding the interrelated nature of mathematics learner identities and mathematics teacher identities. In addition to this, I am interested in understanding the roles that informal mathematics educators––such as parents, administrators, community members, etc.––play and what influence they have on shaping mathematics learners' identities.

Manuscripts

Caviness, S. L., (2024). Girl Math: Keeping the Good and Countering the Bad. For the Learning of Mathematics, 44(1), 36–38. 

Article here.


Caviness, S. L., Wallen, C., & Stewart, L. (2024). Embracing Uncertainty, Struggle, and Creativity with Open Middle. Mathematics 

Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 117(2), 138–141. Article here.


Caviness, S. L., & Masingila, J. O. (2023, October). Mathematics learner and mathematics educator identities in a problem 

solving focused mathematics content course. In Lamberg, T., & Moss, D. (Eds.), Proceedings to the forty-fifth annual meeting of the North American chapter of the international group for the psychology of mathematics education (Vol. 1, pp. 499–508), Reno, NV. Article here.


Caviness, S. L., (2023). Revisiting “Radical Equations: Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project” by Robert P. Moses and 

Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 26(6), 835–838. Article here.


Research Talks

Caviness, S. L. (2024, April) Dichotomies and continuums in mathematics educator identity research. Paper presentation at the 

2024 Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.


Ashby, L., Caviness, S. L., Fonger, N. L., & Keech, K. (2024, April) Data warriors: A youth participatory action research project at an 

urban high school. Paper presentation at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.


Masingila, J. O., Caviness, S. L., Aboza, C., & Nartey, F. (2023, December). Prospective mathematics teacher educator learning. 

Poster presentation at the Mathematics Education Research and Creative Scholarship Showcase, Syracuse, NY.

Caviness, S. L., & Masingila, J. O. (2023, October). Mathematics learner and mathematics educator identities in a problem solving focused mathematics content course. Paper presentation at the forty-fifth Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education.


Caviness, S. L., Fonger, N. L., Voyias, K., Njue, E., Odiwuor, B., & Raja, W. (2023, October). Attending to locality-identity when 

designing social justice mathematics tasks. Paper presentation at the School of Education Graduate Student Research Symposium, Syracuse, NY. 


Caviness, S. L. & Sharpe, C. (2023, February). How do preservice teacher’s mathematics learner identities influence their views of 

students’ mathematical capabilities? Poster presentation at the annual conference of the Association for Mathematics Teacher Educators, New Orleans, LA. 


Njue, E., Fonger, N. L., Caviness, S. L., & Raja, W. (2022, December). Social justice mathematics. Poster presentation at the 

Syracuse Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement Symposium. Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY. 


Raja, W., Caviness, S. L., Odiwuor, B., & Fonger, N. L. (2022, October). How do we analyze students’ learning of mathematics 

through local social justice issues? Research presentation at the Northeastern Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, Presented Online.


Caviness, S. L. (2021, December). Anti-racism in teacher education. Poster presentation at the Mathematics Education Research 

and Creative Scholarship Showcase, Syracuse, NY.


References

Berry, R. Q. (2008). Access to upper-level mathematics: The stories of successful African American middle school boys. Journal for 

Research in Mathematics Education, 39(5), 464–488.


Caviness, S. L. & Masingila, J. O. (Under Review). The between and within mathematics identities of preservice elementary 

teachers. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education.


Caviness, S. L., & Masingila, J. O. (2023, October). Mathematics learner and mathematics educator identities in a problem solving 

focused mathematics content course. In Lamberg, T., & Moss, D. (Eds.), Proceedings to the forty-fifth annual meeting of the North American chapter of the international group for the psychology of mathematics education (Vol. 1, pp. 499–508), Reno, NV.


Cribbs, J., Huang, X., & Piatek‐Jimenez, K. (2021). Relations of mathematics mindset, mathematics anxiety, mathematics identity, 

and mathematics self‐efficacy to STEM career choice: A structural equation modeling approach. School Science and Mathematics, 121(5), 275–287.

 

Darragh, L. (2015). Recognising ‘good at mathematics’: Using a performative lens for identity. Mathematics Education Research 

Journal, 27(1), 83–102. 

 

Drake, C., Spillane, J. P., & Hufferd-Ackles, K. (2001). Storied identities: Teacher learning and subject-matter context. Journal of 

Curriculum Studies, 33(1), 1–23.


Gutiérrez, R., Myers, M., & Kokka, K. (2023). The stories we tell: Why unpacking narratives of mathematics is important for teacher 

conocimiento. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 70, 101025.

  

Liang, B., Ng, O.-L., & Chan, Y.-C. (2023). Seeing the continuity behind “double discontinuity”: Investigating Hong Kong prospective 

mathematics teachers’ secondary–tertiary transition. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 113(1), 107–124.