Publication Details
Hine, G.
(2015).
Strengthening pre-service teachers’ mathematical content knowledge.
Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 12 (4).
Abstract
Over the past two decades there has been a growing body of literature concerning the preparation of pre-service mathematics teachers. Research efforts have focused principally on approaches conducted by tertiary educators to adequately prepare pre-service teachers (PST) for the mathematics classroom. In particular, such efforts have emphasised the importance of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) (Beswick & Goos 2012; Shulman 1986; Shulman 1987) and mathematical content knowledge (MCK) (Meany & Lange 2012; Ponte & Chapman, 2008) in teacher preparation programs. Specifically, researchers have reported on ways to best support preservice primary and secondary teachers’ PCK (Aguirre, del Rosario Zavala & Katanyoutanant 2012; Kennedy, Ball & McDiarmid 1993) and MCK (Ma 1999; Stohlmann, Moore & Cramer 2013), the effects of mathematical content units on PST (Matthews, Rech & Grandgenett 2010), and the effects of mathematical pedagogy units on PST (Sowder 2007). Other research has drawn attention to PST confidence levels and attitudes towards mathematics (Hamlett 2009). Despite the extensive literature there is no consensus on how to adequately train PST of mathematics (Ball, Hill & Bass 2003; Chapman 2005). However, a growing number of scholars recommend teacher educators focus their efforts on mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT), or teaching both for procedural understanding and mathematical fluency (Delaney Ball, Hill, Schilling & Zopf 2008).
Keywords
pre-service, mathematics teachers, pre-service teachers, PST
