Mathematics Teacher Education and Development

Kindergarten and Primary Teachers’ Noticing Within the Context of Vertical Team of Mathematics Lesson Study

2023-03-04T13:11:58+10:00

This study investigated the noticing of teachers who teach mathematics at different grade levels in the context of lesson study. The study focused on teachers’ noticing during the planning phase of the lesson. For this, the lesson planning phase of a group of four teachers consisting of kindergarten and primary school 1st grade teachers (vertical teacher team) was investigated. Teachers’ planning process for the 1st grade level mathematics lesson was the focus in the context of lesson study. We examined categories and subcategories that emerged in the planning phase of the lesson study and noticing levels dealt with those categories. We examined which categories and subcategories emerged in planning and at which noticing levels they dealt with those categories. The results of the study provide comprehensive data on categories and noticing levels of teachers teaching mathematics at different grade levels in the collaborative planning process of a lesson study focusing on improving problem-solving. The results of the study showed that the teachers’ noticing was clustered under three categories: curriculum, teaching methods, and conceptual understanding. In terms of noticing levels, the study’s results revealed that noticing is performed at the attending to level in all categories. Although less frequently than the attending to level, teachers noticed making sense of level in all the other categories except the curriculum category. Besides, noticing that the deciding to respond level did not occur at any level might be due to the cultural challenges of adaptation of lesson study and the amount of support, we researchers provided teachers as facilitators.

Conceptualisation of an Undergraduate Primary Mathematics Specialisation

2024-01-20T02:04:06+10:00

Over the past decade, there has been unprecedented regulation of initial teacher education (ITE). The objective of this study was to generate an in-depth understanding of the structural challenges faced by tertiary educators as they responded to a federal policy and a related state government policy in teacher education. The policies imposed on ITE reach through tertiary education providers and into school classrooms. To capture the three spaces of (1) policy makers, (2) tertiary education providers and (3) teacher education graduates, this study adopts a socio-spatial approach as both a conceptual organiser and an analytical stance. One specific case is detailed, namely one metropolitan university’s establishment of a pathway enabling pre-service primary teachers to specialise in mathematics teaching. The study then follows two graduates into their first two years of teaching. The findings generated are potentially transferable to other contexts. We conclude that to reap the benefits of ITE policies, tertiary education providers and all employers of teachers need common expectations for their role in implementing these policies. Also, support for graduates needs to be sustained through liaising between tertiary education providers and employers.

Exploring the Feasibility of Co-construction Among Mathematics Teachers and Teacher Educators: Analysis of Discourse in a Product-based Teacher Professional Development Program

2023-05-02T12:28:53+10:00

Using a product-based teacher professional development workshop in the Just Do Math program as a case, this study investigated the discourse between teachers and teacher educators from three perspectives, namely focus, form, and flow, to see how the two cohorts communicated in the co-construction, whether the co-construction is feasible to produce innovative teaching materials, and what the feasible dialogical modes are for this co-construction. The participants included four experienced university-based mathematics teacher educator and 38 mathematics teachers. The discourse from the eight 3-hour sessions of the workshop was collected. The findings included that both teachers and teacher educators focused more on students' development of concepts than on learning motivation, even if learning motivation was one main problem to be solved. Feasible dialogical modes for co-construction in teacher professional development workshops in the context of East Asian educational cultures were revealed, which could be described as teacher educator-centred but teacher-focused.

Student Teachers’ Conceptions of Fractions: A Framework for the Analysis of Different Aspects of Fractions

2023-09-21T14:16:51+10:00

Fractions are core content of elementary school mathematics, and conceptual knowledge of fractions is essential when developing a comprehensive understanding of fractions. Previous research, however, has indicated limitations in student teachers' fraction knowledge. This study investigated 57 Swedish elementary school student teachers' conceptions of fractions. The data were collected using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire and analysed with an analytical framework building on previous research on four core components of fractions. Using the devised analytical framework, we were able to characterise the conceptual content shown in the student teachers' answers and identify gaps in their fraction knowledge. The most severe gaps were identified in relation to interpretations of fractions, where only the part-whole and the quotient interpretations were identified; the measure, operator, rate, ratio, and number interpretations were missing completely. Aspects of fractions related to representations and procedures were better represented in the participants' conceptions of fractions, but we also illustrate substantial differences between the student teachers. In addition to this quantitative description, we provide qualitative examples. The results raise some questions and implications to be addressed in teacher education programs when developing student teachers' fraction knowledge.

Exploring K–12 Mathematics Teachers’ Identity and Beliefs About Mathematics and Teaching

2023-09-21T14:14:46+10:00

Research has indicated a need for mathematics-specific affective measures and reported a lack of research exploring how these beliefs relate to one another, specifically with identity measures. Thus, the aims of this study are: (1) to validate measurement items for a mathematics teacher identity scale and a mathematics teaching philosophy scale, and (2) to explore correlations that may exist between these and other mathematics-specific beliefs. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to provide evidence to support the inclusion of instrument items measuring both the mathematics teacher identity and mathematics teaching philosophy scales. Additionally, results indicated strong or moderate correlations among many of the identity and beliefs measures, such as mathematics identity and mathematics teacher identity. Mathematical mindsets, however, were either weakly correlated or not significantly correlated with all other measures. This study extends previous research on the understanding of the relationships among mathematics specific affective measures.