Diverge Then Converge: A Strategy for Deepening Understanding Through Analyzing and Reconciling Contrasting Patterns of Reasoning

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-24
Author(s):  
Theresa J. Grant ◽  
Mariana Levin
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conceptual Issue ◽  
Prospective Elementary Teachers ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
Teaching Content ◽  
Mathematical Discussions ◽  
Relevant Factors ◽  
Implementation Of The Strategy

One of the challenges of teaching content courses for prospective elementary teachers (PTs) is engaging PTs in deepening their conceptual understanding of mathematics they feel they already know (Thanheiser, Philipp, Fasteen, Strand, & Mills, 2013). We introduce the Diverge then Converge strategy for orchestrating mathematical discussions that we claim (1) engenders sustained engagement with a central conceptual issue and (2) supports a deeper understanding of the issue by engaging PTs in considering both correct and incorrect reasoning. We describe a recent implementation of the strategy and present an analysis of students’ written responses that are coordinated with the phases of the discussion. We close by considering conditions under which the strategy appears particularly relevant, factors that appear to influence its effectiveness, and questions for future research.

scholarly journals Formatively assessing prospective teachers’ skills in leading mathematics discussions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Shaughnessy ◽  
Nicole M. Garcia ◽  
Michaela Krug O’Neill ◽  
Sarah Kate Selling ◽  
Amber T. Willis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
First Year ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
First Year Teachers ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Prospective Elementary Teachers ◽  
Making Sense

AbstractMathematics discussions are important for helping students to develop conceptual understanding and to learn disciplinary norms and practices. In recent years, there has been increased attention to teaching prospective teachers to lead discussions with students. This paper examines the possibilities of designing a formative assessment that gathers information about prospective elementary teachers’ skills with leading problem-based mathematics discussions and makes sense of such information. A decomposition of the practice of leading discussions was developed and used to design the assessment. Nine first-year teachers who graduated from a range of different teacher education programs participated in the study. The findings reveal that our formative assessment works to gather information about teachers’ capabilities with leading discussions and that the associated tools support making sense of the information gathered. This suggests that such tools could be useful to support the formative assessment of the developing capabilities of prospective teachers.

scholarly journals Elementary Teachers’ Thoughts about Distance Education and Learning 21st-Century Skills during COVID Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-50
Author(s):  
Amani K H Alghamdi ◽  
Naimah Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
21St Century ◽  
21St Century Skills ◽  
College Of Education ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
School Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Eastern Province ◽  
Written Responses

There was a dearth of research documenting the Arab World’s educational response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, female Saudi elementary teachers’ views on distance education during those unprecedented times were under-explored in the research literature. In the wake of the outbreak in Saudi Arabia, concerns have been raised about education disruption at the elementary school level and its impact on instilling and developing 21st-century skills. Conducted at a college of education in Saudi’s Eastern Province, a qualitative exploratory study examined 20 Saudi postgraduate female students’ written responses to a journal question concerning teaching elementary pupils online about the pandemic while 21st-century skills were being inculcated. A critical finding was that the participants expressed a sense of ample scope for personal and pedagogical transformation despite the enormity of the challenge. Suggestions for future research, pre-service, and in-service teacher training, and professional development were recommended around pedagogical adjustments for teaching elementary learners online while ensuring they still learn and develop their 21st-century skills.

STUDI DESKRIPTIF MINAT CALON GURU SEKOLAH DASAR TERHADAP PENGGUNAAN ALAT PERAGA MATEMATIKA SETELAH PERKULIAHAN MEDIA DAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIKA SD

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Isna Rafianti ◽  
Etika Khaerunnisa
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Elementary Mathematics ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Prospective Elementary Teachers ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
Mathematical Problems ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Object Of Study

This research is motivated by the lack of interest of teachers in the use of props in the process of learning mathematics in elementary school. In accordance with the demands of the curriculum in 2013 and supported by the developed learning theory, learning mathematics is abstract object of study, students need an intermediary that props math-ematics, so that students can more easily understand the concepts that will be pre-sented, and in the end it can deliver students to solve mathematical problems, not only that proposed by the teacher but also the problems in life. The purpose of this study was to determine the interest of prospective elementary teachers on the use of props mathematics after getting lectures media and elementary mathematics learning model. By knowing the interest of prospective elementary teachers will be developed further realization of the state of the subject being studied. The method used is descriptive research, then the instruments used were questionnaires and interviews. The results of this study stated that the interest of prospective elementary teachers on the use of props after attending lectures media and elementary mathematics learning model is high over-all with a percentage of 76.70%.Keywords : Interest, Props Mathematics

scholarly journals Conceptualizing Mobility Inequality: Mobility and Accessibility for the Marginalized

2021 ◽  
pp. 088541222110128
Author(s):  
Isti Hidayati ◽  
Wendy Tan ◽  
Claudia Yamu
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Thought Experiments ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Planning Practice ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors

The burgeoning landscape of literature on mobility inequalities has led to discrepancies between a conceptual understanding of mobility inequalities and its implementation in planning practice. Reviewing 270 publications across five decades, this article identifies intrinsic and extrinsic factors and approaches for understanding and analyzing mobility inequality. Using two thought experiments to critically locate variations in factors and approaches, dilemmas and challenges in addressing mobility inequality for the marginalized are exposed. The article concludes with future research directions for investigating mobility inequality.

scholarly journals In Search of Alignment: A Review of Impact Studies in Entrepreneurship Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uladzimir Kamovich ◽  
Lene Foss
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Impact Studies ◽  
Teaching Objectives ◽  
Teaching Content ◽  
Instructional Processes ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
The Impact

This study uses the concept of alignment as a framework to examine empirical research on the impact of entrepreneurship education interventions on students. Alignment assumes that effective instruction requires congruence between three instructional components: intended outcomes, instructional processes, and assessment criteria. Given the extant diversity and complexity of entrepreneurship education impact, scholars have not been able to explain how teaching approaches and methods are being adjusted to the variety of expected outcomes. In order to address this gap, we critically reviewed the published empirical studies on entrepreneurship education impact in 20 journals over a 15-year period (2000–2015). We found 16 empirical studies that met our inclusion criteria. Our findings revealed that teaching objectives, teaching methods, and teaching content receive scant attention from researchers. This study will be of value to scholars researching the impact of heterogeneous entrepreneurship education practices and approaches on individuals. Our analytical framework could contribute to less contradictory findings of entrepreneurship education impact studies. We also identify research limitations and suggest avenues for future research.

Field Experience and Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge and Beliefs

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik D. Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Mathematical Knowledge ◽  
Field Experience ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Prospective Elementary Teachers ◽  
Knowledge And Beliefs ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Education And Development ◽  
The Relationship

This study (n = 1,044) used data from the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M) to examine the relationship between field experience focus (instruction- or exploration-focused), duration, and timing (early or not) and prospective elementary teachers' intertwined knowledge and beliefs about mathematics and mathematics learning. Early instruction-focused field experience (i.e., leading directly to classroom instruction) was positively related to the study outcomes in programs with such field experience of median or shorter duration. Moreover, the duration of instruction-focused field experience was positively related to study outcomes in programs without early instruction-focused field experience. By contrast, the duration of exploration-focused field experience (e.g., observation) was not related to the study outcomes. These findings suggest that field experience has important but largely overlooked relationships with prospective teachers' mathematical knowledge and beliefs. Implications for future research are discussed.

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