Beginning Teachers' Perspectives on Attributes for Teaching Secondary Mathematics: Reflections on Teacher Education

Abstract

The aim of this collaborative study was to understand what factors beginning secondary mathematics teachers attribute their success to in the classroom, regardless of their preparation program. Further description of how and when beginning teachers reported acquiring important teaching attributes provides a perspective on how they make the transition to teaching. A large-grain analysis of critical developmental moments, pre-, during, or post-program, contributes to the conversation about teacher education, highlighting valuable aspects of the preparation process for beginning teachers. The results have implications for informing the types of students mathematics education programs should try to attract or recruit, and defining areas on which teacher education programs should focus and where practicum or internship components might be incorporated into the preparation process.