A causal-comparative study of South African pre-service primary mathematics teachers’ spatial visualization ability: does common content knowledge matter?

This study reports on an intervention that was aimed at improving the content knowledge of first-year intermediate-phase education students at a South African university. The study gives some insight into preservice teachers’ perceptions of an online programme for the development of mathematics common content knowledge for teachers of mathematics in the intermediate grades. The effectiveness of the intervention programme was analysed according to Shapiro’s evaluation criteria for intervention research. The findings show that there has been a positive shift in preservice teachers’ common content knowledge but that there is much room for further development. The student teachers found the programme to be of great benefit with regard to the development of their mathematics knowledge as well as their confidence as future teachers of mathematics. The findings highlighted their disturbingly limited knowledge of mathematics content knowledge and pointed to the responsibility of teacher education departments at universities to implement sufficient maths content courses that will address the status quo of poor mathematics teaching in South African primary schools. The authors conclude that the students need to spend much more time on ‘catching up’ before they become teachers.

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Developing mathematics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in lesson study

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies ◽

10.1108/ijlls-11-2015-0036 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 212-226 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain

Keyword(s):

Pedagogical Content Knowledge ◽

Teacher Learning ◽

Empirical Evidence ◽

Content Knowledge ◽

Mathematics Teachers ◽

Lesson Study ◽

Content Type ◽

Pedagogical Content ◽

Primary Mathematics ◽

Knowledge Of Content

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the development of mathematics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) over successive cycles of lesson study. Utilising the framework of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) (Ball et al., 2008), this research classifies features of PCK as utilised by post-primary mathematics teachers in their planning and reflection conversations in lesson study. The development of these features of PCK is then traced over successive cycles. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 12 teachers in two Irish post-primary schools participated in this research. Over the course of one academic year, these two groups of teachers completed a number of cycles of lesson study and qualitative data were generated through audio recordings of all lesson study meetings and through individual interviews with participants. Findings – Analysis of teacher dialogue reveals distinct features of knowledge of content and students (KCS) and knowledge of content and teaching (KCT) incorporated by these teachers in their planning and reflection conversations, providing empirical evidence of MKT in lesson study. The occurrence of these features of KCS and KCT in lesson study conversations increased over successive cycles, demonstrating teacher learning. Originality/value – This research contributes to the literature in expanding the theoretical underpinnings of teacher learning in lesson study. It also provides further empirical evidence of MKT (Ball et al., 2008) in teacher practice, specifically related to post-primary mathematics teachers.

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The effects of Google Sketchup based geometry activities and projects on spatial visualization ability of student mathematics teachers

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.169 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 384-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Aytaç Kurtulus ◽

Candas Uygan

Keyword(s):

Mathematics Teachers ◽

Spatial Visualization ◽

Google Sketchup ◽

Visualization Ability

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Technological pedagogical content knowledge in South African mathematics classrooms: A secondary analysis of SITES 2006 data

Pythagoras ◽

10.4102/pythagoras.v34i2.232 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Verona Leendertz ◽

A. Seugnet Blignaut ◽

Hercules D. Nieuwoudt ◽

Christo J. Els ◽

Suria M. Ellis

Keyword(s):

Pedagogical Content Knowledge ◽

South African ◽

Content Knowledge ◽

Mathematics Teachers ◽

Mathematics Teaching ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Pedagogical Content ◽

Grade 8

This article reports on a secondary data analysis conducted on the South African mathematics teachers’ dataset of the Second Information Technology in Education Study (SITES 2006). The sample consisted of a stratified sample of 640 mathematics teachers from 504 randomly selected computer-using and non–computer-using schools that completed the SITES 2006 teachers’ questionnaire, which investigated their pedagogical use of Information Communication Technology (ICT). The purpose of the current investigation was to investigate the level of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of mathematics teachers, and how TPACK attributes contribute towards more effective Grade 8 mathematics teaching in South African schools, using the TPACK conceptual framework. The findings are presented according to the three clusters identified through the association between the main variables of the TPACK model and other variables on the SITES 2006 teachers’ questionnaire: (1) impact of ICT use, (2) teacher practices and (3) barriers. A Cramér V of between 0.3 and 0.4 was considered to signal a medium effect that tended towards practically significant association, and a Cramér V of 0.4 or larger was considered to signal a large effect with practically significant association. The results indicate that the TPACK of mathematics teachers contributes towards more effective Grade 8 mathematics teaching in South African schools.

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