The Impact of Teaching Practice on Female Students’ Preparation for Mathematics Teacher Education Programme in Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria

This small sample study was conducted to investigate the impact of teaching practice on female students’ preparation for mathematics teacher education programme. The design adopted was a descriptive survey research design. A sample of 30 female students was selected from 50 students who have participated in teaching practice programme for the degree programme at Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. Data were collected through closed-ended and open-ended questionnaires administered to the sampled students, and teaching practice supervisors, co-coordinators, and heads of Departments from the school where the students did their teaching practice respectively. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and by categorising the responses of the participants according to the theme of the study. The findings include, amongst others that teaching practice beyond enhancing the students’ preparation for mathematics education programme, it helps female students to develop more interest and confidence in studying and teaching mathematics. Following the findings, recommendations for mathematics teacher education programme were made. It was recommended amongst others, that there is need to continue to use teaching practice programme to prepare pre-service teachers in mathematics education.

DISCUSSION CIRCLE FOR THE TEACHING-LEARNING OF STATISTICS

Conceptual appropriation is central to the teaching-learning and development processes. The intellectual stage is expressed by writing, verbalization and the use of the object under construction, among other means of expression. This paper discusses the conceptual appropriation by means of the creation of collaborative situations in which the argumentative language mediates the construction of knowledge. Supported by Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory, Discussion Circle is an activity that consists of presenting some conceptual questions for the class to discuss in small groups initially, and then in a larger group, as a general meeting. Hence, we present the central ideas and theoretical support for the development of this activity and comment on a practice that took place during a course of Basic Statistics, part of the Teaching Program in Mathematics. Results indicate the conceptual development of students, which allows for the improvement of elementary school mathematics’ teacher education in terms of statistics studies, which is a strategic matter of importance for the broadening of society’s knowledge about this area. Abstract: Portuguese No processo de ensino-aprendizagem e desenvolvimento, a apropriação conceitual é central. O estágio intelectual se expressa, entre outras formas, pela escrita, verbalização e uso do objeto em construção. Este artigo discute a apropriação conceitual por meio da criação de situações colaborativas em que a linguagem da argumentação medeia a construção do conhecimento. A atividade Roda de Conversa, apoiada na teoria Histórico-Cultural de Vygotsky, consiste em propor algumas questões conceituais para a classe discutir, inicialmente em pequenos grupos e, a seguir, em uma reunião geral. Apresentamos as ideias centrais e os suportes teóricos para o desenvolvimento dessa atividade e comentamos sobre uma realização prática ocorrida em uma disciplina de Estatística Básica do curso de Licenciatura em Matemática. Os resultados encontrados indicam o desenvolvimento conceitual dos estudantes, colaborando com a melhoria da formação estatística do professor de Matemática da Educação Básica, questão estratégica na ampliação do conhecimento da sociedade sobre a área.

Alignment of the Philippine Mathematics Teacher Education Curriculum with the Programme for International Student Assessment

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study aimed to examine the alignment of the Philippine mathematics teacher education curriculum with the 2021 mathematics literacy framework of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Such study could inform the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) if its mandated bachelor’s degree in secondary education major in mathematics could produce teachers at the secondary level prepared to deliver the expectations of PISA to mathematically literate 15-year-old learners. Through document analysis, the researcher reviewed the alignment of two official documents accessible online: the 2017 Philippine mathematics teacher education curriculum and the 2021 PISA mathematics literacy framework. Three mathematics education experts validated the researcher’s analysis. The results revealed alignment of the content and competencies covered by the teacher education curriculum and PISA mathematics literacy framework. However, the researcher found gaps in the curriculum in terms of its responsiveness in capturing some contexts and 21st century skills emphasized in PISA 2021 mathematics literacy framework. The study provided recommendations in addressing the gaps to inform needed updating in the teacher education curriculum to meet the expectations of PISA as a step to meeting the international standards of quality educational program.</p>

Preservice Teachers’ Eliciting and Responding to Student Thinking in Lesson Plays

This study presents an analysis of 95 lesson play scripts—hypothetical dialogues between the teacher and a student—written by 32 preservice teachers (PSTs). Writing lesson scripts was part of the assessment design activities to elicit and respond to students’ thinking. The findings present the types and frequencies of teacher talks/moves in fraction-related tasks during a stage of lesson plays, such as launch, active elicitation, and closure. Our analysis indicates a wide range in the number of turns taken by the PSTs, while there is little correlation between the number of turns and effectiveness at eliciting and responding to student thinking. The study also confirmed that some unproductive talk moves were still present in the lesson play context, although the PSTs had plenty of time to craft a script. This study drew implications of PSTs’ prior perceptions, experiences, knowledge, and needs in mathematics teacher education regarding the ways to create learning opportunities for them to elicit and respond to student thinking.

Using Cases as a Means to Discuss Errors in Mathematics Teacher Education

Errors are a major component of the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) needed for teaching mathematics. In this study, 25 prospective teachers (PTs) in high schools were invited to solve a trigonometric task that had been assigned to high-school students and, subsequently, to relate to an authentic solution containing mathematical errors, which was presented in a dialogue by a pair of students. While all PTs reached the final, correct solution, eight provided only one of the two results in one step of the solution. Almost all (23) PTs identified at least one of the students’ errors. The case raised issues regarding the steps that should be written in a solution and the role of drawings in mathematical problems. This article suggests that exposing PTs to authentic teaching cases provides opportunities to discuss subtle issues related to their own mathematical knowledge and to obstacles that their future students might encounter when solving such tasks.