“I Feel Like I Have a Say”: Student Co‐Designer Experiences in Creating Digital Clinical Simulations to Support Ambitious and Equitable Mathematics Instruction

Student voice is increasingly recognized as central to ambitious and equitable mathematics (AEM) instruction, yet students are rarely included as partners in designing teacher learning experiences. Situated within an ongoing design‐based research project, this study examines how students of color experienced co‐designing digital clinical simulations (DCSs) intended to support teachers in practicing AEM instructional moves. During two 1‐week‐long co‐design institutes, students drew on their own mathematics classroom experiences and engaged in re‐storying (i.e., sharing, analyzing, and reimagining classroom episodes) to transform lived narratives into simulation scenarios. Students reflected on the co‐design experience in focus group interviews, which were analyzed using iterative coding and thematic analysis. Findings suggest three themes: (1) students experienced co‐design of DCSs as affirming and empowering because their perspectives were meaningfully taken up to create authentic teacher practice spaces; (2) students developed empathetic accountability, expressing greater empathy for the complexity of teaching while continuing to hold teachers accountable for their learning; and (3) sonder emerged as a key equity concern, with students emphasizing that AEM instruction requires teachers to recognize learners' full individuality, including their lived realities, learning approaches, and cultural identities.