D'Anna Pynes

Assistant Clinical Professor, Institute for Educational Initiatives

D'Anna Pynes headshot (updated 2022)
Office
307J Carole Sandner Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Email
kpynes@nd.edu

Google Scholar

Download CV

Research Interests

Professional learning communities, teacher professional learning, teacher noticing, children’s mathematical thinking

Biography

D’Anna Pynes is an assistant professor of mathematics education in the Center for STEM Education at the University of Notre Dame. Her research examines how professional development can support in-service teachers to implement ambitious and equitable mathematics instruction Specifically, she investigates the design of professional learning settings, including professional learning communities, to better understand how teachers develop expertise in noticing children’s mathematical thinking.

Dr. Pynes’ work focused on the instructional practices of elementary teachers, particularly in teaching rational numbers that build on students’ mathematical ideas. Additionally, she explored how teachers facilitate equitable discussion practices that position students’ contributions as resources for collective sensemaking and expand opportunities for mathematical discourse.

Most recently, her research examines teachers’ asynchronous interactions with videoed classroom observations to investigate how educators notice, interpret, and reflect on ambitious instructional practices. Across these lines of inquiry, Dr. Pynes seeks to inform the design of professional learning programs that enhance teachers’ pedagogical choices and foster equitable classroom environments.

Dr. Pynes is a former elementary teacher and served as a district and regional professional development and curriculum specialist in central Texas.

Education

  • Ph.D. in STEM Education, University of Texas at Austin
  • B.S., Applied Learning and Development, University of Texas at Austin

Courses Taught

  • EDU 60172 - Assessment in Elementary Education

  • ESS 47602 - Research Lab

Selected Publications

  • Shaughnessy, M., Boerst, T., & Pynes, D. (2026). Leveraging simulated student interactions to learn about prospective teachers’ formative assessment practice. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2025.101298
  • Goldin, S., Robinson, D. D., Shaughnessy, M., Garcia, N. M., Blunk, M., Pynes, D., & Mortimer, J. P. (2025). Beyond technical fixes: Reconsidering equity sticks and expanding notions of equitable teaching. Urban Education, 61(4), 706-735. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859251359261
  • Pynes, D., Kloser, M., Wagner, C., Szopiak, M., Wilsey, M., Svarovsky, G., & Trinter, C. (2024). Bridging theory and practice: A framework for STEM teacher leadership. School Science and Mathematics, 125(4), 330–344. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12686
  • Robutti, O., Trouch, L., Cusi, A., Psycharis, G., Kumar, R., & Pynes, D. (2024). Tools and resources used/designed for teacher collaboration and resulting from teacher collaboration. In H. Borko & D. Potari (Eds.) Teachers of Mathematics Working and Learning in Collaborative Groups. New ICMI Study Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56488-8_5
  • Jacobs, V. R., Empson, S. B., Jessup, N., Dunning, A., Pynes, D., Krause, G., Franke, T. M. (2024). Profiles of teachers’ expertise in professional noticing of children’s mathematical thinking. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 27(3), 295-324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-022-09558-z
  • Boerst, T. A., Shaughnessy, M., DeFino, R., Blunk, M., Farmer, S. O., Pfaff, E., Pynes, D., (2020). Preparing teachers to formatively assess: Connecting the initial capabilities of preservice teachers with visions of teaching practice. In C. Martin, D. Polly, & R. Lambert (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Formative Assessment in Pre-K through Elementary Classrooms (pp. 89-116). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-0323-2.ch005

  • Jacobs, V. R., Empson, S. B., Pynes, D., Hewitt, A., Jessup, N., & Krause, G., (2019). The responsive teaching in elementary mathematics (RTEM) project. P. Sztajn & P. H. Wilson (Eds.), Designing Professional Development for Mathematics Learning Trajectories (pp. 75-103). Teachers College Press. https://doi.org/10.65528/9780807777817-005