Dr. Stefanie D. Livers

Biography

Dr. Stefanie D. Livers is an assistant professor in the department of childhood education and family studies. She was an elementary teacher for nine years, and an instructional coach for three years, before beginning a full-time career in academia. Her research agenda focuses on teacher preparation, teacher support and equitable teacher practices. Livers has published several journal articles and book chapters, and is a co-author of the observation protocol (with Gleason and Zelkowski), Mathematics Classroom Observation Protocol for Practices (MCOP2; 2015;2017). She is a National Board Certified Teacher who continues to work with schools and districts implementing high quality tasks and fostering mathematical practices.

Details

Education

• PhD, Curriculum and Instruction: Mathematics Education, 2012, University of Louisville
• MAT, Early Childhood Education: K-5, 1997, University of Louisville
• BA, Psychology, Sociology minor, 1994, University of Louisville

Teaching

• ELE 429 Methods of Teaching Mathematics in Elementary Schools
• ELE 715 Advanced Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Mathematics
• ELE 772 Seminar in Education

Professional experience

Affiliations

• American Educational Research Association
• Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators
• Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Missouri Mathematics Association for Advancement of Teacher Training 
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Research Council on Mathematical Learning
• TODOS: Mathematics for All

Research and professional interests

Dr. Stefanie Livers's research agenda is focused on the development and support of a critical perspective of mathematics teaching and learning. This is covered within three areas: teacher preparation, teacher support and teacher practice. Specifically:

• Developing effective elementary teacher preparation programs especially in mathematics education.
• Supporting in-service teachers of mathematics through coaching models and professional development.
• Analyzing the instructional practice of teachers in respect to tasks, differentiation and issues of equity.

Select Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

• Livers, S. D. (2019). Facilitating teacher learning through leading: An elementary mathematics coach’s story. Tennessee Educational Leadership 46(2), 23-31.
• Livers, S.D., Zelkowski, J., Harbour, K. E., Gleason, J., & McDaniel, S. (2019). Examining mathematics self-efficacy and practices between general education and special education teachers. RCML Investigations in Mathematics Learning.
• Davis, T. R., Bolyard, C. S., Zhang, S. Livers, S.D. Syndor, J., & Daley, S. (2019). A multi-institution study of elementary teacher candidates' self-efficacy: Analysis of participant characteristics and implications for teacher educators. Teacher Educator, 54(3), 313-330.
• Livers, S. D., & Harbour, K.E., & Fowler, L. (2019). The dangers of “animals” in the mathematics classroom. Teaching Children Mathematics 25(7), 406-414.
• Willey, C. J., & Livers, S.D. (2018). Forging New Terrain in Critical Mathematics Teacher Leadership: The Role of Critical Reflective Practice. Teaching for Excellence and Equity in Mathematics 9(1) 6-16.
• Livers, S.D., Paxton, M. O’Grady, N., & Tontillo, M. (2018). Embracing curriculum compacting: Teacher candidates supporting differentiated instruction in elementary mathematics. School University Partnerships 11(1), 19-25.
• Livers, S.D., & Elmore, P. (2018). Attending to precision: Vocabulary support in middle school mathematics classrooms. Reading and Writing Quarterly 34(2), 160-173. (On-line access 2017).

Peer Reviewed Book Chapters

• Harbour, K.E., Livers, S. D., & Hjalmarson, M. (2019). Measurement and validity in the context of mathematics coaches and specialists. In J. Bostic, E. Krupa, J. Shih (Eds.) Assessment in Mathematics Education Contexts: Theoretical Frameworks and New Directions. Routledge.
• Livers, S.D. & Karp, K.S. (2018) The power of context: Promoting equity and access in mathematics learning using children’s literature. In E.E. Monroe, & T. Young (Eds.) Deepening Children’s Mathematical Understanding with Children’s Literature. Reston, VA: NCTM.
• Livers, S. D. (2018). Tools for successful leadership. In J. Hunzicker (Ed.) Teacher Leadership in Professional Development Schools (pp. 272-274). Emerald Publishing: Bingley, UK.
• Livers, S. D. & Lin, L. (2017). Elementary teacher candidates’ perspectives on the teaching and learning of English learners. Advocacy in Academia and the Role of Teacher Preparation Programs. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Awards and honors

• Missouri State University Certified Distance Educator Award, 2018
• Mathematics Education Service, Teaching and Research, a.k.a. STaR, fellow (4th Cohort), 2013
• National Board Certified Teacher, 2001 and 2011

Areas of Expertise

Media Appearances