Learning From Simulations of Student Thinking in Mathematics: SiSTiM and the Case of Kristy

In this article, we describe the theoretical and pragmatic considerations behind our development of a set of nine protocols and training materials for engaging prospective secondary mathematics teachers in live, interactive clinical simulations. Our designs are grounded in theoretical principles from situated cognition and variation theory and pragmatic principles that we identified after multiple cycles of design and development. To illustrate the effectiveness of our approach, we share data from the case of Kristy, a prospective teacher whose reflections on her experiences led her to construct conceptualizations of student thinking that approximated our goals for the simulations.