Predicting Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ Teaching and Learning Conceptions: The Role of Mathematical Beliefs, Mathematics Self-efficacy, and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy

Author(s):  
Wilfred W. F. Lau
2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-67
Author(s):  
Bridget Franks ◽  
Sheryl McGlamery

Educational opportunity gaps experienced by students of color living in poverty, with accompanying lower levels of mathematics achievement, remain a roadblock to their access to college-level training in STEM fields. To address this problem, secondary teachers must be confident in their ability to share mathematics content effectively with students from cultures different than their own. Bridging the opportunity gap is more likely with two elements in place: intellectually stimulating pre-college experiences and community partnerships that establish connections between underserved neighborhoods and resource-filled environments such as university campuses. This study explored the effects of teaching in a four-week STEM summer camp for ethnically diverse, high-needs middle school girls on the teaching self-efficacy of highly-qualified preservice secondary mathematics teachers, a group that has been less studied than preservice elementary teachers. Participants were scholarship students in a federally-funded teacher preparation scholarship program at an urban, metropolitan university. Teaching self-efficacy was measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) and by follow-up qualitative analysis of questionnaire responses and focus groups. Participants’ gains on the MTEBI were significant for Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy, but not for Mathematics Teaching Outcome Expectancy. Qualitative analyses suggested that both instructional coaching and everyday interactions in a summer camp setting contributed strongly to the preservice teachers’ increased confidence about teaching mathematics to culturally diverse, high-needs learners.


SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824401987104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeki Aksu ◽  
Ümit Kul

Teaching efficacy, teaching anxiety, and teaching knowledge are crucial factors in effective teaching. This study investigated the mediating role of mathematics teaching efficacy (MTE) in the relationship between pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and mathematics teaching anxiety (MTA) for pre-service mathematics teachers. The participants were 463 volunteer pre-service teachers who completed a questionnaire package that included the MTE Scale, the MTA Scale, and the PCK Scale. The theoretical model was tested using structural equation modeling and a bootstrapping procedure. It was revealed that MTE has a partial mediating role in the relationship between PCK and MTA for pre-service teachers. The findings indicated that a high level of PCK increases pre-service teachers’ MTE, which decreases their MTA. Although PCK predicts MTE that in turn predicts MTA, more longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to better understand this sequence.


Author(s):  
Daria Rovan ◽  
Dubravka Glasnović Gracin ◽  
Goran Trupčević

In Croatia, as in many other countries, primary education teachers are trained as generalists and mathematics is only one of several different subjects that they teach, so when choosing their profession they are not necessarily drawn by their interest in becoming a mathematics teacher. Still, it is very important that they have a positive attitude towards mathematics and are motivated to teach it to their students. The aim of this study was to explore whether pre-service teachers with different achievement goal profiles have different beliefs about mathematics and teaching and learning mathematics. The participants were 325 pre-service primary education students. The research was conducted in three waves, during the students’ first, third and fifth year of study. In their first year of studies, we collected data on the achievement goals in mathematics that they had in high school, and self-efficacy in mathematics. Epistemic beliefs, subjective value of mathematics and mathematics anxiety were assessed at all measurement points. In their third and fifth year of study, we also collected data on the participants’ mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs and, in their fifth year, beliefs on teaching and learning mathematics. The results of the cluster analysis showed that we could group pre-service primary education teachers into three groups according to the profiles of their achievement goals in high school: (1) all goals high, (2) all goals low, (3) mastery orientation. The results showed differences between the groups in terms of motivation for learning mathematics at the beginning of their studies. However, these differences tend to be less prominent over time. At the end of their studies, they do not differ in their mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs or their beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics.Key words: achievement goals; mathematics education; motivation; teacher education; teachers’ beliefs---U Hrvatskoj, kao i u mnogim drugim zemljama, osnovnoškolski učitelji korisnici su generaliziranoga obrazovanja i Matematika je samo jedan od nekoliko različitih predmeta koje poučavaju, tako da ih pri odabiru profesije nužno ne privlači interes da budu učitelji matematike. Ipak, njihov pozitivan stav prema matematici i motivacija za poučavanje učenika matematici vrlo su važni. Cilj je ovoga istraživanja ispitati imaju li učitelji s različitim profilima ciljeva postignuća različita uvjerenja o matematici i poučavanju i učenju matematike. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 325 studenata, budućih učitelja primarnoga obrazovanja. Istraživanje je provedeno u tri ciklusa: tijekom prve, treće i pete godine studija ispitanika. Na prvoj godini studija prikupljali smo podatke o ciljevima postignuća u matematici koje su sudionici imali u srednjoj školi i o samo-učinkovitosti u matematici. Epistemološka uvjerenja, subjektivnu vrijednost matematike i tjeskobu procjenjivali smo u svim ciklusima mjerenja. Na trećoj i petoj godini studija sudionika također smo prikupljali podatke o njihovim uvjerenjima o učinkovitosti u poučavanju matematike i, na petoj godini, uvjerenja o poučavanju i učenju matematike. Rezultati klaster analize pokazali su da se budući učitelji, studenti primarnoga obrazovanja, mogu grupirati u tri skupine prema profilima ciljeva postignuća u srednjoj školi: (1) svi visoki ciljevi, (2) svi niski ciljevi i (3) orijentacija prema vještini. Dobiveni rezultati pokazali su razlike između skupina s obzirom na motivaciju za učenje matematike na početku studija. Ipak, te su razlike manje uočljive tijekom vremena. Na kraju studija sudionici se ne razlikuju u svojim uvjerenjima o učinkovitosti u poučavanju matematike niti u svojim uvjerenjima o učenju matematike.Ključne riječi: ciljevi postignuća; matematičko obrazovanje; motivacija; obrazovanje učitelja; uvjerenja učitelja


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (No.2) ◽  
pp. 129-160
Author(s):  
Ruzlan Md-Ali ◽  
Arsaythamby Veloo ◽  
S. Kanageswari Suppiah Shanmugam ◽  
Yus'aiman Jusoh @ Yusoff ◽  
Rosna Awang Hashim

Purpose - The Malaysian government has allocated a large budget for Orang Asli primary school education via the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) to help improve Orang Asli pupils’ academic performance including mathematics. Teachers face challenges in ensuring that Orang Asli pupils become competent learners of mathematics. Hence, this study examined the teachers’ perspectives on the issues and challenges in the teaching and learning of mathematics at Orang Asli primary schools in Malaysia. Methodology - In this qualitative study, Two Orang Asli primary schools were randomly selected from eight primary schools within an Orang Asli Settlement in the District of Sungai Siput. The data were collected via focus group discussions and interviews, which were carried out during enculturation visits and were fully transcribed and thematically analysed. The research participants were purposively selected and comprised the schools’ administrators and mathematics teachers. Findings - The results of the data analysis showed that there were two main themes, namely classroom challenges and school challenges, in determining mathematics competence among Orang Asli pupils. Classroom challenges consisted of five sub-themes namely coverage of mathematics syllabus, mathematics teaching and learning resources, pupil engagement, language barrier, and mathematics learning culture. School challenges consisted of two sub-themes namely school attendance and discipline. To enhance mathematics competence among Orang Asli pupils, it is deemed important to conduct programmes and community engagement. Significance - This study contributes to the knowledge of the teaching and learning of mathematics at Orang Asli primary schools. It is recommended that teachers allow Orang Asli pupils to take home their mathematics textbooks so that they can complete their homework at home. Teachers are highly encouraged to conduct mathematics teaching and learning activities in groups to develop meaningful and engaging lessons.


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