Bridging Behavior and Belonging: Math Interventions to Build Math Identity in Classrooms

Presenters

• Shiyu Dai, University of North TexasFollow
• Yishun Liu, University of KansasFollow

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.Ed

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2022

First Presenter's Field of Study

EDUCATION

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

Dallas Baptist University for M.Ed and University of North Texas for Ph.D learning

First Presenter's Institution

University of North Texas

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Shiyu “Dara” Dai is currently a fourth-grade Math and Science teacher at Gavilan Peak School in the Deer Valley Unified School District, Arizona, and a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Texas. She has taught in three countries, serving students across elementary, middle, and high school levels, and has been teaching in the United States since 2021 as a LOTE and Math Intervention teacher in Texas before transitioning to her current 4th-grade role in Arizona. Her research centers on STEM in Special Education, focusing on how inclusive STEM instruction, combined with PBIS and UDL frameworks, can enhance academic engagement, self-efficacy, and belonging among all learners, especially those in special education.

Second Presenter's Institution

University of Kansas

Second Presenter’s Email Address

yishun.liu@ku.edu

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.S.Ed in Curriculum and Teaching

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2021

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Educational policy, STEM persistence

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

University of Kansas

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Yishun Liu is a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (Policy Studies) at the University of Kansas. Her work examines how school resources, social capital, and policy environments shape equitable access to STEM coursework and persistence, with a focus on multilingual/EL students and K–12 equity. She brings large-scale data experience (NCES/HSLS) and school-based improvement partnerships. For this session, She contributes expertise in translating policy to practice through math-identity routines, Universal Design for Learning, and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and in analyzing impacts for EL and special-education populations.

Location

Verelst

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

Positive Behavior Interventions and Support

Relevance to Primary Strand

This presentation aligns directly with the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) strand by demonstrating how PBIS principles can be embedded within daily math instruction to improve both behavior and academic outcomes. The tiered Math Talk intervention model mirrors the PBIS framework at Tiers 1, 2, and 3, establishing universal expectations, providing targeted group supports, and implementing individualized plans for students with persistent behavioral or engagement needs. By integrating PBIS with academic discourse, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and restorative practices, this approach builds a positive classroom climate where all students, particularly EL learners and special education learners, can develop self-regulation, resilience, and a strong math identity. The session offers practical, data-driven strategies that educators can use to strengthen behavior supports while fostering inclusion and belonging through mathematics.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Student Learning and Development

Brief Program Description

This session presents a practical, tiered intervention model that integrates Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) with Math Talk strategies to strengthen students’ math identity, engagement, and sense of belonging. Participants will explore Tier 1–3 classroom practices, ranging from school-wide expectations and small-group supports to individualized interventions that combine Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and restorative approaches. Grounded in classroom-based research, this session provides ready-to-implement strategies to enhance student behavior, collaboration, and achievement through inclusive and special education–responsive math instruction.

Summary

This presentation introduces a practical, tiered intervention model that integrates Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS; Sugai & Horner, 2002) with Math Talk strategies to strengthen student engagement, behavior, and identity in mathematics. Many classrooms face the challenge of supporting diverse learners, especially English language learners (EL students) and students with special education needs, who struggle not because of their abilities, but because of limited access to inclusive and affirming instructional practices. This session addresses that challenge by demonstrating how academic and behavioral interventions can work together to promote belonging and self-efficacy in STEM learning.

Grounded in the frameworks of PBIS (Sugai & Horner, 2002), Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2018), and restorative practices (Gregory et al., 2016), the model embeds behavioral expectations and reflection routines directly into daily math instruction. At the Tier 1 level, participants will see examples of universal classroom strategies such as Math Talk norms, growth-mindset language, and visual expectations that promote respect, persistence, and collaboration. Tier 2 interventions focus on targeted small-group supports for students who need additional help with self-regulation or academic engagement, using structured sentence stems(Zwiers, 2014), peer-supported problem-solving, and goal-setting activities. Tier 3 strategies emphasize individualized supports such as self-monitoring charts, bilingual goal conferences, and restorative reflection forms that address deeper social-emotional and executive-functioning needs.

This presentation draws from classroom-based action research in two fourth-grade classes in a public school setting. Data collected through behavioral tracking, student reflections, and work samples demonstrate improvements in on-task behavior, academic participation, and students’ confidence in mathematics. Participants will leave with ready-to-implement strategies, sample templates, and reflection tools that align with PBIS expectations and UDL principles.

Ultimately, this session offers educators a clear, evidence-based approach to bridging behavior and belonging through mathematics. By integrating PBIS within tiered math instruction, teachers can create inclusive, positive learning environments where all students, especially those with diverse language and learning needs, are empowered to see themselves as capable, confident mathematicians.

Evidence

The proposed model is grounded in well-established, evidence-based frameworks including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS; Sugai & Horner, 2002), Universal Design for Learning (UDL; CAST, 2018), and restorative practices (Gregory et al., 2016). Each framework has demonstrated effectiveness in improving student engagement, reducing disciplinary incidents, and promoting equitable learning outcomes.

Field-tested in two fourth-grade public school classrooms, the intervention model demonstrated measurable improvements in both student engagement and behavior.

The Math Talk routines and reflection prompts used in the intervention were adapted from the research of Chapin et al. (2013), focusing on discourse moves that promote reasoning, accountability, and persistence. The model also aligns with Dweck’s (2006) growth mindset framework, emphasizing effort, collaboration, and metacognitive awareness as behavioral and academic success indicators.

Learning Objective 1

Participants will be able to identify how Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can be embedded in daily math instruction to strengthen classroom behavior, engagement, and belonging.

Learning Objective 2

Participants will be able to design tiered intervention strategies (Tiers 1–3) that integrate Math Talk routines, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and restorative practices to support multilingual and special education students.

Learning Objective 3

Participants will be able to implement data-driven reflection tools and language scaffolds that promote students’ self-regulation, collaboration, and math identity development.

Start Date

6-3-2026 8:30 AM

End Date

6-3-2026 9:30 AM

Recommended Citation

Dai, Shiyu and Liu, Yishun, "Bridging Behavior and Belonging: Math Interventions to Build Math Identity in Classrooms" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 75.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/75

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.