Christopher Parrish, Ph.D.
Education
B.S., Mathematics Education, Auburn of Montgomery, 2011
M.Ed., Mathematics Education, University of West Alabama, 2013
Ph.D., Mathematics Education, Auburn University, 2016
Teaching Philosophy
"My teaching responsibilities are related to (1) methods of teaching mathematics, (2) curriculum and teaching in secondary schools, and (3) field supervision. Courses related to methods of teaching mathematics and curriculum and teaching in secondary schools have each been adapted to the TBL framework for both the in-person and online sections. Within many of my courses, I have also invited our Innovation in Learning Center (ILC) to conduct mid-semester Small Group Instruction Feedback sessions to inform immediate course adjustments and long-term course improvements. I have invested a considerable amount of effort to regularly collaborate with math teacher educators at other institutions to plan and implement modules in my methods of teaching courses; many of these modules have concluded in reviewed papers and conference presentations. I currently have one course that is Quality Matters Certified."
Research
Dr. Parrish’s work as a researcher in mathematics education and teacher educator has primarily focused on two overlapping areas, cognitively demanding tasks and team-based learning (TBL). He has examined cognitively demanding tasks in secondary mathematics education from four different foci: (1) the role of cognitively demanding tasks within an informal learning community, (2) improving inservice teachers’ instruction and content knowledge through their own engagement with cognitively demanding tasks, (3) learning to launch cognitively demanding tasks, and (4) the use of Team–Based (Inquiry) Learning to support all students in engaging with cognitively demanding tasks. Dr. Parrish has also adapted TBL to an online setting and in doing so, developed the Integrated Online–Team-Based Learning (IO–TBL) model. The IO–TBL model maintains the essential elements of TBL while combining the connectedness provided through synchronous meetings with the flexibility afforded by asynchronous engagement.
More recently, Dr. Parrish’s research has expanded to include teachers’ attitudes toward cognitively demanding tasks, examined across both elementary and secondary contexts. This work was presented at the 2024 NCTM Research Conference and the 47th Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (2025). Dr. Parrish also serves as Principal Investigator and Co-Director of UTeach South, a $2 million initiative funded by the Alabama STEM Council and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to expand secondary STEM teacher preparation. He is additionally a Co-Principal Investigator on the NSF-funded Noyce Pathway to Mathematics II grant ($1.2 million, 2023–2028), an integrated STEM initiative focused on recruiting and preparing secondary mathematics teachers.
More recently, Dr. Parrish’s research has expanded to include teachers’ attitudes toward cognitively demanding tasks, examined across both elementary and secondary contexts. This work was presented at the 2024 NCTM Research Conference and the 47th Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (2025). Dr. Parrish also serves as Principal Investigator and Co-Director of UTeach South, a $2 million initiative funded by the Alabama STEM Council and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to expand secondary STEM teacher preparation. He is additionally a Co-Principal Investigator on the NSF-funded Noyce Pathway to Mathematics II grant ($1.2 million, 2023–2028), an integrated STEM initiative focused on recruiting and preparing secondary mathematics teachers.
Outreach
Highlights of Dr. Parrish’s outreach include serving as Vice President of the Professional Development Committee for the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE, 2023–2025), District VII Director for the Alabama Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2019–2022), and Co-Director of UTeach South, a university-wide STEM teacher preparation initiative. He has also served as a reviewer for the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, and Research in Middle Level Education Online.
Biography
A native of Millbrook, Alabama, Dr. Parrish has dedicated his career to the advancement of mathematics education through both secondary instruction and academic research.
Dr. Parrish earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Auburn University in 2016. His professional trajectory is marked by a strong foundation in clinical practice, having taught students across grades 7 through 12 at various schools throughout East Alabama.
In recognition of his contributions to the field and his institutional commitment, Dr. Parrish was granted tenure and promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in June 2022.