The annual AMTE dissertation award seeks to elevate the work of early career scholars whose research has substantial implications for mathematics teacher education that supports preservice and practicing teachers in any of the following ways: to understand how social, historical, and institutional contexts of mathematics affect teaching and learning; to teach in ways that are responsive to such realities; and/or to advocate for every student. The Research Committee, a part of the Advocacy, Equity, and Research Division of AMTE, leads the solicitation of the dissertation award
The Research Committee grounds this award in three areas of AMTE’s work:
1) To promote improving P-12 mathematics teacher education, which is inextricably bound to a commitment towards more effective and socially just education systems (https://amte.net/news/2015/11/position-equity-mathematics-teacher-education)
2) To strengthen the research and research-based practices of mathematics teacher education while supporting our members to understand how issues of social and racial justice undergird all of our work (https://amte.net/sites/amte.net/files/AMTE%202020-24%20Long%20Term%20Goals.pdf) and
3) To realize that the social, historical, and institutional contexts of mathematics affect teaching and learning and to commit to our critical roles as advocates for every student. (https://amte.net/sptm/chapter-7-elaborations-standards-preparation-high-school-teachers-mathematics/standard-c4)
What the awardee will receive: A plaque and an invited session to speak at the following annual AMTE conference. The award includes the upcoming conference registration fee unless the awardee has already registered, in which case the following year’s AMTE conference registration fee will be covered. Finally, the awardee will be matched with a senior scholar in AMTE to support the mentee in publishing an article related to the awardee’s dissertation.
Please get in touch with avpresearch@amte.net with questions.
Nominate Yourself
The deadline for nominations is July 1, 2026.
We strongly encourage individuals from historically or currently marginalized backgrounds to apply.
Criteria:
Degrees must be conferred (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) between July 16, 2024 and July 15, 2026 in order to be eligible. Scholars can only apply once for the award
Documentation Required:
In the text fields (limited to 200 words per question) on the website, applicants will answer the following questions, include references when necessary, and upload a copy of their dissertation.
- Describe how your dissertation contributes specifically to mathematics teacher education;
- What do you see as the main theoretical, methodological, or substantive contributions of your dissertation?;
- Describe the ways, if at all, that your dissertation research focuses on supporting preservice and/or practicing teachers to understand how social, historical, and institutional contexts of mathematics affect teaching and learning;
- Describe the ways, if at all, your dissertation research addresses advocating for each and every student.
AMTE Recipients of Dissertation Awards
2026
THE BLACK WOMAN’S TOOLKIT: STORIES OF PERSISTENCE IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS COURSES
Honorable Mention
CRITICALLY CONSCIOUS MATHEMATICS MENTORING: A PRAXIS STUDY WITH MENTOR TEACHERS WORKING FOR JUSTICE
2025
Towards a Critical-Mathematical Consciousness: Understanding the Construction of a Counterspace for Prospective Maestras Mexican
Honorable Mention
Teachers’ Beliefs, Perceptions, Experiences, and Strategies in Teaching and Engaging MLs in Mathematics Classrooms
2024
Impact of ethnomodeling explorations on secondary mathematics pre-service teachers' perceptions of teaching and learning geometry: A multi-case study
Describing critical statistical literacy habits of mind
2022
When We Relate: Towards a People-Centered Methodology for Classroom-Based Research