scholarly journals Unpacking Mathematics for Teaching: A Study of Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Evolving Mathematical Understandings and Beliefs

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Kajander
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Preservice Teacher ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Preservice Elementary Teachers ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Mathematics Understanding ◽  
Mathematics For Teaching ◽  
One Year

This study examined the mathematical understandings and beliefs held by preservice elementary teachers in a mathematics methods course taken as part of a one year teacher certification program, and re-examined these characteristics at the end of the course. The notion of ‘understanding mathematics for teaching’ was examined in a way that might begin to support the work of mathematics educators working with such preservice teacher candidates. Preservice teacher beliefs about what is important in mathematics learning and therefore the teaching of it are examined along with mathematics understanding at both procedural and conceptual levels. The goal is to shed some light on how initial understanding and beliefs about mathematics teaching co-exist, and how these might develop during a preservice teacher education program. A preliminary model designed to promote participant self-reflection is suggested.

The Effects on Preservice Elementary Teachers of Learning Mathematics and Means of Teaching Mathematics through the Active Manipulation of Materials

1975 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-63
Author(s):  
Karen Fuson
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Preservice Elementary Teachers ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Teaching Mathematics ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Mathematics Methods ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
Actual Use ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
And Mathematics

This study examines some effects on preservice elementary teachers of a combined mathematics and mathematics methods course that used manipulative materials as the primary means of learning. The effects investigated were changes in trainee desire to use, ability to use, and actual use of manipulative materials in teaching; changes in trainee desire or actual behavior with respect to teaching in a learner-focused manner; changes in trainee understanding of elementary mathematics; differences between learning in a concrete, physical way and learning in a symbolic, abstract way; and changes in trainee attitudes of enjoyment of and feelings of competence in teaching mathematics.

Research, Reflection, Practice: Writing to Reflect in a Mathematics Methods Course

2003 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-118
Author(s):  
Alfinio Flores ◽  
Carmina Brittain
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Writing To Learn ◽  
Preservice Elementary Teachers ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Mathematics Methods ◽  
Methods Courses ◽  
Mathematics Methods Course ◽  
Principles And Standards

For more than a decade, several authors have highlighted the benefits to students of writing to learn mathematics. Writing is an important component of communication in the classroom. As Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 2000) notes, “Writing in mathematics can also help students consolidate their thinking because it requires them to reflect on their work and clarify their thoughts about the ideas developed in the lesson” (p. 61). Teachers probably will not use this tool, however, unless they have had the experience themselves of writing in relation to mathematics. This article presents a brief review of the benefits of students writing to learn mathematics. In the second part of the article, we invite the reader to consider another possible use of writing: as a tool to help preservice teachers reflect on their own growth as they learn to teach mathematics. We discuss some of the benefits that writing has for prospective teachers and present examples of preservice elementary teachers' writing that were collected in several one-semester undergraduate mathematics methods courses that the first author taught. The second author participated as a student in one of the courses. In a second article to be published in this journal, we will focus on the process of writing and writing for an audience.

scholarly journals The Emphasis of Inquiry Instructional Strategies: Impact on Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Efficacy

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista L. Althauser
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Preservice Elementary Teachers ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Teaching Mathematics ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Instructional Format ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Significant Difference

Using a Mixed Methods approach, this study investigated changes in levels of self-efficacy among elementary preservice teachers following a semester course on teaching elementary students’ mathematics. Participants in this study included 347 preservice elementary teachers at a mid-size regional university who had just completed an elementary mathematics methods course. The data were collected from several semester groups. The instruments used were the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, interview data, and observation data collected during the clinical experience. The focus of this study was to compare the changes in teacher self-efficacy following a methods course that emphasized hands-on mathematics instruction with manipulatives by means of the 5E instructional format. The results of the paired-samples t-test indicated that there was a significant difference in the preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching mathematics after engaging in the elementary methods course. Preservice teachers reported that their understanding of various instructional practices changed significantly from a “tell, show, and do” model to an approach utilizing interactive and engaging activities. They also reported that their attitude toward mathematics had improved significantly and that there had been a direct impact on their confidence for teaching mathematics as a result of the structure of the elementary math methods course.

Effects of Integrating Problem Solving, Interactive Multimedia, and Constructivism in Teacher Education

1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Kyeong Kim ◽  
Janet M. Sharp ◽  
Ann D. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Elementary Teachers ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Comparison Groups ◽  
Based Instruction

Research on mathematics teacher education indicates that offering an appropriate constructivist-based teaching model of mathematics instruction to preservice elementary teachers enhances their teaching abilities and confidence in future teaching. The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice elementary teachers' decisions about teaching strategies and their attitudes toward mathematics and computer-related technologies in a constructivist-centered methods course which included the use of problem solving multimedia. The treatment consisted of six hours of multimedia-enhanced instruction over two weeks. This study focused on three mathematics education topics taught to each group of students: problem-solving, technology, and ratios/proportions. The results indicated that constructivist-based instruction using multimedia helped the participants develop more positive attitudes toward computer-related technologies and influenced their decisions to plan more constructivist-based teaching strategies than those participants in the comparison groups.

Web-Based Instruction

2012 ◽  
pp. 195-203
Author(s):  
Cheng-Yao Lin ◽  
Fenqjen Luo ◽  
Jane-Jane Lo
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Preservice Elementary Teachers ◽  
Advisory Panel ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Web Based Instruction ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Conceptual And Procedural Understanding ◽  
Interactive Feature

This case study explored the efficacy of web-based instruction on preservice elementary teachers’ mathematics learning. Web-based instruction is appealing to many schools in urban settings because it helps them to face the two big challenges most akin to their schools: to motivate students’ interests and to meet the diverse students needs with its interactive feature and adaptive capability. Ten preservice elementary teachers were interviewed regarding their ability to model and reason with fractions after receiving web-based instruction on these topics in their regular mathematics method course. The interview transcripts were used to provide information about the strength and weakness of participants’ conceptual and procedural understanding of fractions. The findings of this case study identify promises and challenges in supporting the recommendations of many national reports, such as the NCTM Professional Standards for School Mathematics (2000) and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008), in incorporating technology into the compulsory mathematics classrooms.

Developing a “competency–based” teacher education program: a report on a project

1974 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 220-223
Author(s):  
O. Robert Brown ◽  
R. Ruel Morrison ◽  
Mary Ann Byrne ◽  
Thomas J. Cooney ◽  
Edward J. Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Elementary Mathematics ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Preservice Elementary Teachers ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education

Interest in competency-based instruction has been evident at all levels of education. The Georgia Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education Project (GEMTEP) was designed to develop a “competencybased” training program in mathematics for inservice and preservice elementary teachers.

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