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The MOSAICS Lab is led by Dr. Imani Masters Goffney and her team at the University of Maryland.
This work began as part of EF+Math, the first program of the Advanced Education Research & Development Fund (AERDF). EF+Math was founded in 2019 to explore the hypothesis that integrating EF skill development into math learning - in ways that support conceptual understanding, complex problem-solving, and equitable classroom experiences - could dramatically improve students' math outcomes. Anchored in the belief that every student is brilliant and capable of success in mathematics learning, EF+Math supported a portfolio of interdisciplinary teams to inclusively research and develop classroom products for grades 3-8, novel assessments and technological tools, and generalizable research findings.
EF+Math was an intentionally time-limited program, and upon its sunset in early 2026, shared a Resource Library to ensure that the resources and insights from this work were accessible and actionable for those committed to transforming math education.
In addition to codifying their insights within the Resource Library, the EF+Math Program seeded a continued research and development effort via the MOSAIC Lab. The MOSAIC Lab was created to expand on EF+Math's learnings and innovative curricular products to support the improvement of mathematics instruction through teacher learning. The primary goal of MOSAIC Lab is to engage in work that helps illuminate, amplify, and building on the brilliance that all children bring to learning and doing mathematics.
We have seen promising evidence that expanding teachers' understandings of executive function (EF) skills in math learning can serve as a pathway to achieving more liberatory mathematics education. We aim for all teachers to have the opportunity to develop their professional knowledge around students' EFs and their capacity to see EFs as strengths to leverage through their pedagogy.
Who We Are
Dr. Imani Masters Goffney
Dr. Imani Masters Goffney
PI and MOSAIC Lab Director
Assistant Professor, Mathematics Education
Dr. Imani Masters Goffney is currently an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Maryland-College Park. She earned her BA from Spelman College and her MA in Curriculum Development and PhD in Mathematics Education and Teaching and Teacher Education from the University of Michigan. She leverages her unwavering belief in the mathematical brilliance of Black and Brown children to fuel innovative and transformative approaches to research and teaching.
She has most recently served as a co-principal investigator on the MAT+EF and MathicSTEAM inclusive R&D project teams, and has served as the Equity-in-Action consultant for the EF+Math community and leadership team. In addition to her work within the EF+Math program, Dr. Masters Goffney collaborates on other NSF research projects (Equity and MOST, Co-Learning, and more), and manages her own research agenda. Her work focuses on mathematics instruction and reimagining and redesigning mathematics instruction to improve its quality and effectiveness, espeically for students who are not traditionally well-served by our current educational system.
Jade A. Johnson
Jade A. Johnson
Graduate Student and Research Associate
Jade A. Johnson is a New Jersey native with a BS in Integrated Elementary Education and Special Education from Towson University and an MA in Educational Leadership and Administration from The George Washington University. Her experience includes roles as a classroom teacher, a Mathematics Resource Teacher, and a Magnet School Coordinator at a K-5 magnet school.
Jade’s research interests include exploring the intersection of race, gender, and class in mathematics education and how these elements impact student achievement and future career goals. She is particularly interested in the history of mathematics, empowering black girls to develop a strong mathematical identity in their elementary years, and in developing teaching practices that foster student agency in the mathematics classroom.
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