Sumeyye Kurutas

Sumeyye Kurutas is a Ph.D. in Education student specializing in Mathematics Education in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. She is interested in learning more about how we can reinforce teacher learning, how their learning turns into practice, and learning environment design. Currently, she is working with Drs. James Hiebert, Erica Litke, and Lynsey Gibbons on the National Science Foundation-funded project “Improving Professional Development in Mathematics by Understanding the Mechanisms that Translate Teacher Learning into Student Learning,” a teacher learning project.

After graduating from Bogazici University with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education, she worked as an assistant teacher in Italy for six months. She then received her master’s of science in Secondary School Mathematics and Science Education from Bogazici University. During her master’s study, she studied in Finland for a semester and completed a variety of courses, including those on qualitative research methods, the Finnish education system, and international education policy and practices. Her master’s thesis explored effective professional development (PD) characteristics from the perspective of the PD coordinator, facilitator, and participants.

After finishing her master’s study, she worked as a math teacher in an international school before pursuing her Ph.D. in Education at UD.

Education

• M.S., Mathematics and Science Education, Bogazici University, Instabul, Turkey, 2018–2020
• B.S., Secondary School Mathematics Education, Bogazici University, Instabul, Turkey, 2012–2017

Professional Experience

• Graduate Research Assistant, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2021–present
• Instructor of Record, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2023
• Mathematics Teacher, Ihsan International School, Istanbul, Turkey, 2020–2021
• Student Assistant, Lifelong Learning Center, Bogazici University, 2019
• Assistant Teacher, Westminster International School, Pisa, Italy, 2017–2018

Publications

• Yabas, D., Canbazoglu Bilici, S., Abanoz, T., Kurutas, B. S., Corlu, M. S. (2023). An exploration of co-teaching in STEM teacher professional development programs in Turkey. In S. M. Al-Balushi, L. Martin-Hansen, & Y. Song (Eds.), Reforming science teacher education programs in the STEM era: International and comparative perspectives (pp. 199-215). Springer International Publishing.
• Corlu, M. S., Kurutas, B. S., & Ozel, S. (2023). Effective online professional development: A facilitator’s perspective. In M. Ludwig, S. Barlovits, A. Caldeira, & A. Moura (Eds.), Research on STEM Education in the Digital Age. Proceedings of the ROSEDA Conference (pp. 9-23). WTM. https://doi.org/10.37626/GA9783959872522.0.02
• Yabas, D., Kurutas, B. S., & Corlu, M. S. (2022). Empowering girls in STEM: Impact of the girls meet science project. School Science and Mathematics, 122(5), 247-258.
• Kurutas, B. S., 2020. Exploration of Effective Professional Development Characteristics from the Perspective of Integrated Project’s Professional Development Coordinator, Facilitator, and Participants, Master of Science Thesis, Bogazici University.
• Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2019). Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching developmentally (Kurutas, B.S., Ozel, S. & Yetkiner Özel, Z.E. Trans.). In S. Durmus (Ed.), Developing fraction concepts (337-373), Ankara, Turkey: Nobel Akademik.

Presentations

• Kurutas, B. S. (2024, Feb 8). Reflective journaling as a tool for understanding teacher learning. Poster presented at the research conference of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Orlando FL.
• Kurutas, B. S. (2023, Oct 24). Reflective journaling as a tool for understanding teacher learning. Poster presented at the research conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Washington DC.
• Gibbons, L., Hiebert, J., Kurutas, B. S., & Litke, E. (2023, Apr 16). Specifying a mathematics coaching theory of action. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
• Kurutas, B. S., Maxwell, V., Riser, J., Gibbons, L., & Hiebert, J. (2023, Feb 2). Unpacking a theory of action for supporting the learning of mathematics coaches. Presentation at the annual conference of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, New Orleans, LA.