03/09/2026
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon

The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Amy Tobin “Strengthening Student Engagement in Elementary Mathematics Through Structured Collaboration and Instructional Routines."

Candidate: Amy Tobin
Degree: Doctoral- Ed.D. Leadership in Schooling, STEM
Defense Date: March 20, 2026
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Strengthening Student Engagement in Elementary Mathematics Through Structured Collaboration and Instructional Routines

Dissertation Committee

  • Chair: Michelle Scribner, Ed.D., Clinical Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Amie Milkowski, Ed.D., Adjunct Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Committee Member: Tracy Manousaridis, Ed.D.

Abstract
Persistent disparities in elementary mathematics achievement reflect inequities in access to rigorous, discourse-rich instruction. At Griffin Elementary School (pseudonym), fourth-grade data revealed declining proficiency and uneven participation during mathematics instruction. This three-manuscript Dissertation in Practice uses improvement science to examine how classroom participation structures and teacher facilitation practices influence student engagement and to develop system-level strategies for strengthening equitable mathematics instruction. Manuscript 1 analyzes national research and local data to diagnose root causes of disengagement, reframing achievement gaps as opportunity gaps embedded in participation structures and facilitation patterns. Manuscript 2 implements and studies a six-week instructional intervention centered on structured collaborative routines in a fourth-grade classroom. Using a mixed-methods design, the findings demonstrate increases in emotional, social, and cognitive engagement, as well as more distributed participation and visible student reasoning. Results suggest that intentional facilitation moves and collaborative routines, rather than materials alone, were the primary drivers of change. Manuscript 3 translates these findings into a schoolwide action plan focused on instructional coaching, strengthened facilitation practices, and participation structures designed to promote belonging and psychological safety. Collectively, this dissertation advances a coherent theory of improvement linking instructional practice to equitable engagement in mathematics.
Keywords: Mathematics education; instructional coaching; equitable engagement; participation structures; improvement science