Investigating Secondary Mathematics Preservice Teachers’ Instructional Vision: Learning to Teach Through Pedagogies of Practice

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in a cohort of secondary preservice teachers’ (PSTs) vision of the role of a teacher within the context of a mathematics methods course designed around pedagogies of practice. We analyzed data collected in the first and last 2 weeks of the course, consisting of recordings of small- and whole-group discussions, PSTs’ written work, and individual interviews. We first coded using Munter’s Role of Teacher rubric and identified significant differences between beginning-of-semester data and end-of-semester data. We then conducted three rounds of constant comparative analysis resulting in four themes that describe the changes in visions of role of teacher. Findings indicate that engaging in pedagogies of practice in preservice education has the potential to influence PSTs’ visions of their role as mathematics teachers. This study extends both the literatures on pedagogies of practice and on teachers’ instructional vision.

Developing Teacher Candidates' Formative Assessment Practices

This chapter describes an initiative to better prepare teacher candidates to use formative assessment practices in their elementary mathematics instruction. Specifically, the initiative involved a curriculum and pedagogical redesign of an elementary mathematics methods course sequence. During the redesign implementation, the instructors intentionally modeled formative assessment practices for teacher candidates and had teacher candidates complete scaffolded field-based assignments in their elementary field placement classrooms in order to practice formative assessment strategies. Throughout the chapter, there are illustrative examples of how the instructors implemented this initiative as well as how teacher candidates carried out the formative assessment practices in their settings. The chapter concludes with a discussion about teacher candidate growth and challenges when learning about and implementing formative assessment practices in mathematics.

Creative Character Education in Mathematics for Prospective Teachers

This study examines preservice teachers’ perspectives of creativity and character education in mathematics through a university-based teacher education program. We developed a curricular unit on creative character education in a mathematics methods course and investigated participants’ (n = 56) emerging perspectives of teaching creativity and character by the integration of content and process in mathematics. Data were collected through pre- and post-questionnaires and transcribed course discussion and presentation sessions. A quantitative analysis of the questionnaires through a t-test confirmed key changes in participants’ perspectives, while the qualitative context of data illustrates the participants’ emergent views on creative character education in mathematics. Overall, findings suggest that a mathematics teacher education curriculum integrating mathematical creativity and character education has the potential to prepare future educators to implement pedagogy that bridges between process and content in school mathematics for the next generation of learners.