Project Grant 2600283

The National Science Foundation Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings awarded the Regents of the University of Michigan $418,577 on August 15, 2026, under the STEM Education program to study how teaching simulations and individualized feedback improve pre-service elementary mathematics instruction and classroom teaching practices.

The project conducts three integrated studies examining the connection between simulated teaching performance and actual classroom practice among pre-service teachers (grades K–5) across five universities. The first study validates whether teaching simulations accurately capture pre-service teachers' actual instructional practices with K–5 students. The second investigates how feedback on simulated performance improves subsequent simulation performance, signaling whether simulation engagement drives teaching improvement. The third examines how participation in simulations and feedback receipt translates into improved classroom instruction. The research combines qualitative and quantitative analytic methods and involves undergraduate pre-service teachers and teacher educators at participating institutions. Findings will establish whether these simulation-based tools enable teacher educators to effectively prepare pre-service teachers for improved elementary mathematics instruction.

Performance occurs at the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus from August 15, 2026, through July 31, 2029. The award is structured as a project grant with assistance type classification.