Biography

Biography


Dr. Farshid Safi is an Associate Director for Teaching and Service, and a K-12 Mathematics Education faculty member in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. His professional experiences include serving as a university teacher educator working with K-12 teachers & school districts for the last 25+ years. He is committed to learning with and from students and teachers at the elementary, middle grades and high schools while also teaching mathematics content and methods courses at universities throughout the U.S and Canada. As a public school teacher of students in mathematics, he has taught courses ranging from algebra to advanced placement calculus courses.

His research focuses on developing students and teachers' understanding of mathematics in coherent, conceptual, and connected ways with an emphasis on equitable teaching practices. He successfully engages with elementary and secondary teachers nationally and internationally in professional development efforts. He focuses on developing prospective teachers’ conceptual understanding of elementary and secondary mathematics, as well as connecting mathematical topics through the intentional integration of technology and dynamic software in mathematical modeling.

Farshid frequently collaborates with mathematics education doctoral students and colleagues on projects, books, book chapters and journal articles focused on reasoning and sense making, equitable teaching practices and mathematical literacy through a multi-disciplinary approach. He has made presentations for teachers and educators more than 150 times at state, national, and international conferences. He is a longstanding member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and is an active contributor to policy efforts related to equitable teaching practices and the intentional use of technology in engaging students in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Currently Dr. Safi serves as a Board Member-at-Large for the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE).

Areas of Expertise
  • Mathematics Education
  • K-12 Education
  • Secondary Education
Education

Ph.D. in Mathematics Education, 2009
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

M.A. in Mathematics with Specialization in Teaching, 2002
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

B.S. in Mathematics, 1993
Minor: Secondary Education
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Research

Research Focus

  • Mathematical Modeling and Content Knowledge for Teaching-Mathematics (CKT-M): Developing teachers’ conceptual understanding of PK-12 mathematics through equitable teaching practices and mathematical modeling
  • Connecting essential mathematical notions through purposeful technology integration and the use of multiple representations to highlight coherence and progression of topics
  • Analyzing the evolution of the field of mathematics education and doctorate granting institutions from a historical research perspective using social network theory

Courses

  • MAE 2801: Elementary School Mathematics
  • MAE 3310: Elementary Mathematics for Teaching I
  • MAE 3311: Elementary Mathematics for Teaching II
  • MAE 3366: Middle and High School Teaching
  • MAE 4339: Teaching Algebra in the Secondary School
  • MAE 4360: Mathematics Instructional Analysis (Sec Methods II)
  • MAE 4383: Teaching Secondary Mathematics with Technology
  • MAE 4634: Programs for Teaching of Secondary Mathematics (Sec Methods I)
  • MAE 5327: Teaching Middle School Mathematics
  • MAE 5336: Current Methods in Secondary School Mathematics
  • MAE 6318: Current Methods in Elementary School Mathematics
  • MAE 6337: Teaching Algebra in the Secondary School
  • MAE 6641: Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Skills
  • MAE 6656: Using Technology in the Instruction of K-12 Mathematics
  • MAE 7640: History of Mathematics Education
  • IDS 6910: Research Seminar in Mathematics and Science Education

Independent Study, Dissertation, Thesis, Research Supervision

  • MAE 4906: Independent Study
  • MAE 4941: Internship
  • MAE 5917: Directed Research
  • MAE 6918: Directed Research I
  • MAE 6946: Internship
  • MAE 7980: Dissertation
  • MAE 7945: Internship in Mathematics Education
  • IDS 7500: Seminar in Educational Research