Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum

Dr. Tracy Goodson-Espy is a professor of mathematics education in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum.

She completed her B.S. and M.S. degrees in mathematics from Middle Tennessee State University and her doctorate in mathematics education from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

Her research agenda has centered on the themes of:

1. reflective abstraction as an individual and collective learning mechanism;
2. curriculum and educational materials development for pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers in K-12;
3. professional development for science and mathematics teachers; and
4. students' problem solving thought processes and behaviors.

Currently, her research focuses on developing pre-service teachers' understanding of mathematical creativity. This includes learning how to teach mathematics creatively and artistically and learning how to develop the mathematical creativity of their students.

She enjoys teaching undergraduate and graduate mathematics methods courses for preservice teachers. She was awarded the 2009 Reich College of Education Outstanding Teaching Award. In 2019, she completed the Applying Quality Matters Rubric Course and Teaching Online Certificate.

From 2010 to 2016, she served two three-year terms on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center, sponsored by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

In 2014, along with the Mathematics Education group, she received the Reich College of Education Community of Practice Award. 

She has served as the principal investigator on several grant projects dedicated to improving mathematics teacher education funded through the Mathematics Association of America, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, the State of North Carolina, and private organizations such as the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. She provides professional development in mathematics education for teachers locally and internationally.

Selected Publications

• Goodson-Espy, T. J. (2022). Preservice elementary teacher geometry course creative pedagogy: Integration of art and children's literature. In S. Keengwe (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Transformative and Innovative Pedagogies in Education (pp. 36-54). Hershey, PA: IGI-Global Publishing. DOI:10.4018/978-1-7998-9561-9
• Moss, D., Poling, L., & Goodson-Espy, T. (2022). Effectiveness of diagnostic interviews: Preservice teachers’ assessment patterns of conceptions in student understanding of number and operation. In P. Jenlink’s (Ed.), Mathematics as the Science of Patterns: Making the invisible visible through teaching (pp. 59-71). Charlotte, NC: Information Age.
• Dean, C. & Goodson-Espy, T.J. (2020). The role of Voice Thread in supporting effective mathematical discussions online. In Wachira, P. & Sagini, J. (Eds.), Handbook of Research for Online Pedagogical Models for Mathematics Teacher Education. Hershey, PA: IGI-Global Publishing. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-1476-4

Selected Grants

• March 2015, National Science Foundation, $1,165,039: 2015-2019, TEAMS: Teaching for Equity in Appalachia in Mathematics and Science. Co-PI, with T. Salinas (PI) (Department of Mathematical Sciences), A. Calamai (Co-PI) (Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, D. Wiley (Co-PI) (Associate Dean of the Reich College of Education) DUE #1540830.
• February 2015, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, $100,000: 2015-2017, North Carolina Math Recovery Elementary Mathematics Specialists Network. PI, with L. Poling (PI) (Department of Curriculum & Instruction), K. Lynch-Davis (Co-PI) (Department of Curriculum & Instruction), C. Dean (Co-PI) (Department of Curriculum & Instruction), D. Moss (Co-PI) The North Carolina Math Recovery Elementary Mathematics Specialists Network provided two years of professional development in the Mathematics Recovery program to K-6 teachers in Alleghany, Avery, Burke, and Wilkes County Schools.
• March 2014, State of North Carolina, NC Quest Grant, $149,941: 2014-2015, Appalachian Elementary Leaders of Mathematics (APP-ELM): A Continuation Proposal. Co-PI, with K. Lynch-Davis (PI) (Department of Curriculum & Instruction), C. Dean (Co-PI) (Department of Curriculum & Instruction), L. Poling (Co-PI) (Department of Curriculum & Instruction) & T. Salinas (Co-PI) (Department of Mathematical Sciences) APP-ELM was a one-year program for 13 elementary teachers in Burke County leading to the Elementary Mathematics Add-on License (EMAoL) with assistance from 4 teacher leaders from the first APP-ELM cohort from Wilkes County.