2024 AMTE Dissertation Award
Siddhi Soni
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Impact of ethnomodeling explorations on secondary mathematics pre-service teachers' perceptions of teaching and learning geometry: A multi-case study
Biography
Siddhi Soni is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. As an immigrant Indian American and a multilingual student, she often found that her school experience was disconnected from the mathematics she engaged in outside of the classroom. Outside of school, mathematics often consisted of learning about ingredient ratios to make ethnic Indian foods or learning about the mathematical precision used to build beautiful architecture she visited in India. Her curiosity to learn more about broadening the purpose of learning mathematics drove her to create an environment where every student and teacher’s identity is valued and respected.
Over the past seven years, she has had the opportunity and privilege of working with and learning alongside K-12 students and pre- and in-service teachers. Through synergistically connecting her teaching and research, Siddhi’s current work focuses on ethnomodeling, which is the intersection of mathematical modeling, ethnomathematics and cultural and historical practices to weave together ways to engage and value each and every student’s identity while integrating key aspects of mathematical content in authentic contexts. In the future, Siddhi looks forward to connecting this work with other groups of pre- and in-service teachers as well as K-12 students.