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Faculty Member

Dr. Elaine Tuft

Biography

Education
Ph.D. - Michigan State University - Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy with an emphasis in Mathematics Education
M.A. - Utah State University - Elementary Education with emphases in Mathematics Education and Education of the Gifted and Talented
B.S. - Utah State University - Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education

Courses Taught
EDEL 4510 - Elementary Mathematics Methods I
EDEL 4550 - Elementary Mathematics Methods II
EDUC 6110 - Applied Statistics for Education

Research Interests
I am interested in learning about all aspects related to how children learn mathematics and how we can better prepare elementary teachers to teach mathematics.
I am interested in general in how we can best prepare future elementary school teachers for all facets of that career.

Representative Scholarly Work
I have made more than 60 refereed or invited presentations at professional conferences and other educational events.
Journals I have been published in include Educational Research: Theory & Practice, Utah Mathematics Teacher, Universal Journal of Education, and The Researcher.

Representative Service
Utah Valley University
- Faculty Senator
- Faculty Senate Executive Board, Chair of Personnel and Elections Standing Committee
- Retention, Tenure, Promotion, and Appeals Committee
- General Education Committee
School of Education
- Accreditation Committee
- Innovation in Teaching and Learning Committee Chair
- Inclusion Committee
- Global Committee
- Flexible Learning Committee
- Coordinator, Elementary Robotics Program
- Graduate Procedures Committee

Representative Professional Organization Service
President - Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association (NRMERA)
President - Utah Association of Teacher Educators (UATE)
President - Utah Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (UAMTE)
Board Member (Director-at-Large) - School Science and Mathematics Association (SSMA)
Program Chair - 2019 Annual SSMA Convention in Salt Lake City, UT

Education

PhD, Michigan State University, 2005

Major: Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy

MA, Utah State University, 1991

Major: Elementary Education

BS, Utah State University, 1983

Major: Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education

Teaching

EDEL 4510

Elementary Mathematics Instruction and Assessment I, Fall 2026

EDUC 6110

Applied Statistics for Education, Summer 2026

EDEL 4510

Elementary Mathematics Instruction and Assessment I, Summer 2026

Presentations

Ilieva, Vessela (Co-Presenter), Tuft, Elaine (Co-Presenter), 2025 School Science and Mathematics Association Annual Convention, "Building a Framework for Embedding Cultural Practices in the Learning and Teaching of Mathematics", School Science and Mathematics (SSMA), Fort Worth, TX. (November 15, 2025)
Tuft, Elaine (Co-Presenter), Ilieva, Vessela (Co-Presenter), 2025 School Science and Mathematics Association Annual Convention, "Using AI in Mathematics Methods Courses_ Our Journey to Begin Learning Its Potential", School Science and Mathematics Association (SSMA), Fort Worth, TX. (November 14, 2025)
Tuft, Elaine (Co-Presenter), MacGonagle, Elizabeth (Chair), Ferguson, Colleen (Co-Presenter), 2024 NAFSA Regions I and II Conference, "Increasing Access, Expanding Horizons_ Underrepresented Students in Less Common Destinations", NAFSA (Association of International Educators), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (October 9, 2024)

Scholarly/Creative Works

Tuft, Elaine , "IDEAS Grant Report #2" .
Tuft, Elaine , "IDEAS Grant Report #1" .