Aina Appova, associate professor of mathematics education, Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology, has been awarded a 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Türkiye to research “Project SMART (Strengthening Multiplicative and Algebraic Reasoning for Teaching): Aligning Teacher Preparation with Curriculum Standards and Assessments.”
“The goal of my Fulbright project is to improve K-8 preservice teachers’ knowledge, understanding and development of multiplicative and algebraic reasoning content and share findings through scholarly dissemination and research outputs,” Appova explained.
Preservice teachers’ conceptual understanding of multiplicative and algebraic reasoning is critical for teacher preparation, yet many teachers enter preparation programs with persistent misconceptions that hinder their capacity to teach mathematics and STEM disciplines.
“This three-phase, academic-year long, mixed-methods design project addresses these challenges by analyzing curriculum standards, developing and validating diagnostic assessment, and identifying and addressing preservice teachers’ learning needs via data-informed targeted instructional interventions, during a year-long mathematics education seminar-course at Boğaziçi University in Türkiye,” Appova said.
She outlined the three phases of the project. One, perform an analysis of Turkish Ministry of Education mathematics standards and those of high-performing countries to map global K-8 trajectories. Two, develop, pilot and validate a diagnostic tool to assess K-8 multiplicative and algebraic reasoning. Three, implement iterative interventions to strengthen preservice teachers’ knowledge in this content.
Based at Ohio State’s Marion campus, Appova has developed and taught mathematics content and methods courses for prospective PK-8 teachers. Her research is focused on the learning, development and professional continuum of PK-12 pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers including the work, knowledge and practices of mathematics teacher educators.
Fulbright
The Fulbright Scholar Program is administered by the Institute of International Education and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
For more information about the Fulbright Scholar Program contact Joanna Kukielka-Blaser. View a complete list of Ohio State Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program recipients.