Amy Ellis
Biography
Interests
- Mathematics education
- Algebra and algebraic reasoning
- Generalization and proof
- Student learning and cognition
- Middle-school and secondary education
Education
- Ph.D. in Mathematics and Science Education, 2004
University of California at San Diego - M.A. in Mathematics, 1998
California State University, San Jose - B.A. in Mathematics, 1993
Washington University in St. Louis
Concentrations
Contact
Research Summary
My scholarship is focused on supporting students’ learning in middle school and high school. I study student reasoning, particularly as it relates to algebra, generalization, and proof, as well as teachers’ pedagogical practices aimed at fostering meaningful student engagement.
I have received thirteen grants from national and state organizations including the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Education Sciences, and currently serve as the PI on an NSF-funded project investigating students’ mathematical generalizations. Part of my current work includes scaling up findings from twelve years of teaching experiment studies to the whole-classroom level, in which I work with middle school teachers to support their implementation of research-based units fostering students’ understanding of function. I maintain a strong interest in issues of equity and social justice, which informs my work with students, teachers, and school districts.