scholarly journals Mathematics teacher's specialised knowledge of prospective primary teachers: An explorative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 226-240
Author(s):  
Federica Ferretti

The importance of good mastery of specialised mathematics knowledge for mathematics teachers and prospective teachers is now recognised internationally. This paper presents an exploratory study aimed at investigating how mathematics education courses affect the Mathematics Teachers’ Specialised Knowledge (MTSK) of prospective primary teachers. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 118 future teachers, and an analysis of their answers was carried out with the MTSK model. The research highlights positive feedback on the effectiveness of the mathematics education laboratory that was staged, and provides an outline of the beliefs and the knowledge of the prospective teachers. 

Author(s):  
Hatice Kübra Güler

It is important for students to connect with real life in mathematics courses. The aim of this study is to investigate the activities which are written by prospective primary school teachers in the context of Realistic Mathematics Education. This research is a case study of which data were collected by qualitative methods. The participants of the research included 81 prospective primary teachers who are junior students attended primary teacher department. It was asked them to write an activity suitable for primary mathematics curriculum by considering Realistic Mathematics Education principles. They were given one month to write the activities. The activities written by prospective teachers analyzed by descriptive methods in terms of learning domains, types of context and principles of Realistic Mathematics Education. Totally 36 activities were written by prospective teachers. Based on the analysis, it was observed that not all the contexts were exactly real life contexts. It was determined that prospective teacher could not distinguish routine word problems from real life problems. It can be said that theoretical knowledge of Realistic Mathematics Education is inadequate for writing activities and prospective primary teachers need to practice on writing activities regarding the mentioned theory.


Author(s):  
Reyhan Tekin-Sitrava ◽  
Gabriele Kaiser ◽  
Mine Işıksal-Bostan

AbstractAlthough the effects of professional development programs on teachers’ noticing skills have attracted considerable interest among mathematics education researchers, little is known about the developmental process of prospective teachers’ noticing skills within initial teacher education. This paper examines the extent to which prospective teachers’ noticing skills are developed through the mathematics education courses taken within the mathematics teachers’ education program using exemplarily the topic division of fractions. The study is grounded on the framework of Professional Noticing of Children’s Mathematical Thinking which specifies three facets of noticing, that are attending, interpreting, and deciding how to respond. Twenty-two prospective mathematics teachers (PSTs), who were enrolled in the Middle School Mathematics Teacher Education Program at a Turkish university, participated in this study. The results revealed that most PSTs gained expertise in all three kinds of noticing skills during their teacher education. The highest progression could be identified in the interpretation skills and the lowest in attending skills. These results are important for initial teacher education programs, highlighting that general, non-specialized mathematics education courses within initial teacher education have the potential to provide an efficient professional development program to develop PST’s noticing skills. The study points out that further research is needed in order to provide additional details about how teacher education programs could be redesigned and implemented to ensure opportunities for PSTs to develop noticing skills within all three facets leading to robust or at least substantial evidence of all three noticing skills.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 467-473
Author(s):  
Lyubka Aleksieva

Bulgaria is now in а process of major changes and reforms in the field of education that involve the implementation of various strategies and regulations. Updating the curricula for school and preschool education has led to the development of new textbooks and teaching aids. Primary and middle school textbooks sets for all subjects were replaced with new ones complemented by their compulsory electronic versions. These e-versions are not only covering the topics and content of the printed versions of the textbooks, but include additional e-resources. Some research of the new textbooks contents has already been done by authors such as Kirova (Kirova, 2018; Kирова, 2018). She compares different components of the curriculum content and the way they are developed in the mathematics textbooks, but the components of the adjunct electronic textbooks (e-textbooks) are not yet analysed. Their examination is necessary for teachers’ practice as well as for the preparation of prospective primary teachers for using e-textbooks in the classroom. No special training for working with e-textbooks is provided in prospective teachers’ current university preparation. However, digital competence is one of the key competences which are developed in primary education programs in Faculty of Educational Studies and the Arts (FESA), Sofia University, Bulgaria. Although it is generally acknowledged that students use digital devices very often and their skills are sufficient for blended learning (Цанев, 2018), yet it is not clear if students’ digital competencies are sufficient for using e-textbooks. Furthermore, there is a gap in the literature about students’ views and attitudes towards working with e-textbooks. Along with their competencies, students’ attitudes are important for successful implementation of e-textbooks in their teaching. Therefore, Sofia University Scientific Research Fund funded project №80-10-170/2019 "Practical aspects of students-prospective primary teachers’ preparation for working with electronic resources" whose main objectives include exploration of the views, preparation and readiness of students-prospective primary teachers about the usage of e-textbooks in primary education. As a part of the project, this study analyses students’ views in terms of necessity of using e-textbooks, their benefits and the requirements that e-textbooks have to meet in order to be used effectively in primary education.Data include an online survey which was conducted during the summer term of academic year 2018-2019 and was completed by 166 students-prospective primary teachers from bachelor and master degree programs at FESA (SU), Bulgaria. The results revealed that the surveyed students generally have positive views about the usage of e-textbooks in education and are well aware of their advantages. They recognized their potential to better visualise learning content and save teachers time. The content that e-textbooks should include and the requirements that e-textbooks have to meet in order to be effectively used in the classroom are also discussed in the paper.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gürsel Güler

<p>The aim of this study is to examine the difficulties prospective mathematics teachers experience in mathematical proving, the courses in which they have difficulties in proving, the importance of proof in mathematics education and its functions in their professional lives. The data of the study was collected via semi-structured interviews with fifteen academicians who volunteered to take part in the study. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained. As a result of the study, based the views of the academicians, it was seen that prospective mathematics teachers experience four different difficulties in proving. Besides, in line with the views of the academicians the following categories were formed: the courses that prospective teachers experience difficulty, the importance of proof in mathematics education and its functions in prospective teachers’ professional lives and these categories were presented with their subcategories.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Kurnia Putri Sepdikasari Dirgantoro ◽  
Robert Harry Soesanto

The number theory is the first mathematics content course in the UPH FIP Mathematics Education study program, which does not have a response class. The response class was conducted as a companion to four content subjects with close relations with school mathematics content, namely Calculus 1, Calculus 2, Geometry, and Linear Algebra. Based on the questionnaire that has been distributed, prospective mathematics teachers consider that the response class is beneficial for them in attending lectures and in exploring related mathematical concepts. However, on the other hand, students inevitably have to go back to learning to be determined with the response class. The implication is that students' self-regulated learning will not develop optimally. However, self-regulated learning is an essential aspect that prospective teachers need to have. This research was conducted to see how self-regulated learning of future mathematics teachers in number theory courses. The research instruments used are questionnaires, the scale of self-regulated learning, and interviews. This research is a qualitative descriptive study. The results of this study are that most students have a moderate level of learning independence. The aspects or indicators of learning independence that need special attention are setting learning goals/targets. Prospective teacher students need to continue to train and develop their learning independence to become professional teachers who continue to develop along with the times.


Author(s):  
Kamirsyah Wahyu ◽  
Dwi Ratnasari ◽  
Sofyan Mahfudy ◽  
Desventri Etmy

This article aims to explore a possible criterion of digital technology mathematics teachers’ professional development[1]. The criterion was canvassed through qualitative exploratory study which involve a hybrid model of DigiTech TPD, online published articles of related TPD, and theoretical perspective which relate to digital technology in mathematics education. Related frameworks (Drijverset al, 2010; Trocki & Hollebrands, 2018) and content analysis were utilized to analyze the first two data. Theoretical perspectives of digital technology in mathematics education were accounted to reflect prior data and explore the criterion. We found that the current TPD[2]has not developed the knowledge of task design and supported teachers' roles in orchestrating technology-rich mathematics teaching as seen in the low level of tasks and teachers' orchestration in the classroom. Related articles on TPD in Indonesia show that the programs have not touched decisive factors of successfully implementing digital technology. An alternative criterion for DigiTech TPD is explored which includes three aspects namely theoretical approach, model and content. It could be alternative point of departure for designing and conducting DigiTech TPD in Indonesia.   


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (S1-May) ◽  
pp. 228-237
Author(s):  
Fatma Erdoğan ◽  
Feyza Yıldız

Problem-solving and posing are skills at the center of mathematics education and mathematical thinking. However, little is still known about the affective aspects of problem-posing. This study aimed to determine the level of prospective elementary mathematics teachers’ problem-posing self-efficacy beliefs and to compare their beliefs according to the variables of gender, grade, and academic achievement levels. This study was carried out by survey method. Descriptive and causal-comparative survey research design was used in this study. The study group consisted of 130 prospective teachers studying at the Elementary Mathematics Education department in a state university, located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. Problem-Posing Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale was used as a data collection tool. In data analysis, descriptive statistics, the independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were used. Findings of the study indicated that levels of the prospective teachers’ PP self-efficacy beliefs were high. It was found in the present study that the problem-posing self-efficacy beliefs of the prospective teachers did not differ significantly with regard to gender. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was found between the prospective teachers’ problem-posing self-efficacy beliefs in terms of their grade and academic achievement. In the light of the research results, suggestions were presented.


Author(s):  
Kamirsyah Wahyu ◽  
Dwi Ratnasari ◽  
Sofyan Mahfudy ◽  
Desventri Etmy

This article aims to explore a possible criterion of digital technology mathematics teachers’ professional development[1]. The criterion was canvassed through qualitative exploratory study which involve a hybrid model of DigiTech TPD, online published articles of related TPD, and theoretical perspective which relate to digital technology in mathematics education. Related frameworks (Drijverset al, 2010; Trocki Hollebrands, 2018) and content analysis were utilized to analyze the first two data. Theoretical perspectives of digital technology in mathematics education were accounted to reflect prior data and explore the criterion. We found that the current TPD[2]has not developed the knowledge of task design and supported teachers' roles in orchestrating technology-rich mathematics teaching as seen in the low level of tasks and teachers' orchestration in the classroom. Related articles on TPD in Indonesia show that the programs have not touched decisive factors of successfully implementing digital technology. An alternative criterion for DigiTech TPD is explored which includes three aspects namely theoretical approach, model and content. It could be alternative point of departure for designing and conducting DigiTech TPD in Indonesia.   


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (esp.) ◽  
pp. 208
Author(s):  
Rosa Di Bernardo ◽  
Gemma Carotenuto ◽  
Maria Mellone ◽  
Miguel Ribeiro

 Abstract: Starting from the assumption that very young children exhibit some naive forms of algebraic skills, in this paper we discuss some of our work aimed at inquiry, and in the same time develop, prospective primary teachers’ knowledge involved and required in recognize and interpret pupils’ early forms of algebraic thinking. The research dimension is perceived intertwined with teacher education and practice and thus, the tasks we develop for such work focus on early years’ prospective teachers’ mathematical knowledge specifically related with the work of teaching Early Algebra. Thus, our focus of attention concerns their knowledge that would sustain the work on supporting the development of pupils’ knowledge and reasoning toward more refined algebraic skills. We present promising preliminary results from an experiment conducted on 60 prospective Italian teachers’, which paves the way for further research about the expected early years teachers’ knowledge on Early Algebra and Algebra and even more refined didactic methods aimed at developing it.Keywords: Teachers’ knowledge. Algebraic Reasoning. Interpretative knowledge. Early years.CONHECIMENTO INTERPRETATIVO DE FUTUROS PROFESSORES DA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL E ANOS INICIAIS NO ÂMBITO DO PENSAMENTO ALGÉBRICO Resumo: Considerando que as crianças desde cedo possuem algumas capacidades, competências e conhecimentos algébricos, ainda que intuitivos, neste artigo discutimos uma parte de nosso trabalho que tem por objetivo acessar e desenvolver o conhecimento de futuros professores envolvido e requerido em reconhecer e interpretar produções de alunos no âmbito do Pensamento Algébrico. Pesquisa, formação e prática são consideradas de forma indissociada e, assim, as tarefas que conceitualizamos para desenvolver esse trabalho focam-se no conhecimento matemático de futuros professores especificamente relacionado com as tarefas de ensinar Pensamento Algébrico. Assim, o nosso foco de atenção refere-se, especificamente, ao conhecimento de futuros professores que contribua para o desenvolvimento do conhecimento e raciocínio dos alunos no sentido de refinar as suas competências algébricas. Apresentamos alguns resultados preliminares a partir da análise de uma tarefa para a formação de professores implementada em Itália a 60 futuros professores e que revelam alguns aspetos centrais do conhecimento do professor relativamente ao Pensamento Algébrico e à Álgebra e indicam necessidades de pesquisa que contribua para um desenvolvimento de tal conhecimento.Palavras-chave: Conhecimento do professor. Pensamento Algébrico. Conhecimento Interpretativo. Anos Iniciais. CONOCIMIENTO INTERPRETATIVO DE FUTUROS PROFESSORES DE INFANTIL E PRIMÁRIA EN EL CONTEXTO DEL PENSAMIENTO ALGEBRAICOResumen: Considerando que los niños desde edad temprana poseen algunas capacidades, competencias y conocimientos algebraicos, aunque intuitivos, en este artículo discutimos una parte de nuestro trabajo que tiene por objetivo acceder y desarrollar el conocimiento de futuros profesores involucrado y requerido en reconocer e interpretar producciones de alumnos en el ámbito del Pensamiento Algebraico. Investigación, formación y práctica se consideran de forma indisociada y así, las tareas que conceptualizamos para desarrollar ese trabajo se enfocan en el conocimiento matemático de futuros profesores específicamente relacionado con las tareas de enseñar Pensamiento Algebraico. Nuestro foco de atención se refiere específicamente al conocimiento de futuros profesores que contribuya al desarrollo del conocimiento y raciocinio de los alumnos en y para refinar sus competencias algebraicas. Presentamos algunos resultados preliminares a partir del análisis de una tarea para la formación de profesores implementada en Italia a 60 futuros profesores y que revelan algunos aspectos centrales del conocimiento del profesor respecto al Pensamiento Algebraico y al Álgebra e indican algunas necesidades de investigación que contribuya a un desarrollo de dicho conocimiento.Palabras claves: Conocimiento del profesor. Pensamiento Algebraico. Conocimiento Interpretativo. Educación Infantil e primaria 


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patty Anne Wagner ◽  
Ryan C. Smith ◽  
AnnaMarie Conner ◽  
Laura M. Singletary ◽  
Richard T. Francisco

As creating and critiquing arguments becomes more of a focus in mathematics classes, teachers need to develop their abilities to facilitate collective arguments. Many mathematics education researchers find Toulmin's (1958/2003) model of argumentation to be useful in analyzing arguments, raising the question of whether mathematics teachers would find it useful as well. We introduced the model to prospective secondary mathematics teachers and asked them to analyze arguments using it. We found that the prospective teachers developed an appropriate understanding of what collective argumentation looks like in the classroom, and the model provided them a lens for analyzing teaching practice. This suggests the use of Toulmin's model is a promising step in helping prospective teachers develop their conceptions of collective argumentation.


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