Session Information
24 SES 07 A, Issues in Mathematics Teacher Education I
Paper Session
Contribution
We are working with first year student teachers in an obligatory mathematics education course. The course is designed to create inquiry in mathematics and inquiry in teaching mathematics (Jaworski, 2006). We regard inquiry as a willingness to wonder about both mathematics and teaching and learning mathematics, and also developing a reflective practice. The mathematics is viewed as a creative enterprise, continually changing (Ernest, 1989), and based on problem solving. Our course has an explicit educational profile, and a key component is the student’s reflections on their work with children. Questioning, listening and responding to children are an integral part of the course.
The study we report from took place early in the mathematics education course. During the first seven weeks of the course, the underlying mathematical subject was multiplicative thinking, and we had, in particular, focus on communication (e.g. learning to question (Moyer and Milewicz ,2002), Topaze-effect (Brousseau, 1984)) and what it means to see mathematics as inquiry based, what are the opportunities and possible gains in different tasks and activities.
At the end of this period, the student teachers conducted their first field work in mathematics, using curriculum material in order to investigate children’s mathematical reasoning. After the field work, student teachers wrote reports from the episode. In the reports they were challenged to reflect on the children’s mathematical thinking, and state what they experienced as difficult in the interactions with the children. Our aim with this project (student’s interaction with children on a mathematical task) was to foster inquiry as a way of being a mathematics teacher (Jaworski, 2004).
We are analyzing the student teachers reports here, in order to investigate the possible gains and challenges of students field work with designed curriculum material in elementary classrooms. In particular, we are trying to trace elements of inquiry in the way they experienced the episode with children, and their reflection on it. Our research question is: What are the student teachers focusing on in their reflections on the field work they had accomplished? What are the tensions they experienced? More specifically, we address the needs the students feel when questioning, listening and responding to children in mathematical interactions.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Brousseau, G. (1984). The crucial role of the didactical contract in the analysis and construction of situations in teaching and learning mathematics. In H.-G. Steiner (Ed.), Theory of Mathematics Education (pp. 110-119). Occasional Paper 54. Bielefeld, Geremany: University of Bielefeld, Institut fur Didaktik der Mathematik. Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59: 389 - 407. Ernest, P. (1989). The impact of beliefs on the teaching of mathematics. I P. Ernest (red.) Mathematics teaching: The state of the art(side 249-254). London: Falmer Press. Jaworski, B. (2006). Theory and practice in mathematics teaching development: Critical inquiry as a mode of learning in teaching. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 9: 187-211. Jaworski, B. (2004). Grappling with complexity: Co-learning in inquiry communities in mathematics teaching development. Proceedings of the 28th PME Conference. Bergen Norway: Bergen University College. Theory and practice in mathematics teaching development: Critical inquiry as a mode of learning in teaching. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 9: 187-211. Moyer, P., Milewicz, E. (2002). Learning to question: Categories of questioning used by preservice teachers during diagnostic mathematics interviews. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 5: 293-315. Nicol, C. (1999). Learning to teach mathematics: Questioning, listening, and responding.Educational Studies in Mathematics, 37:45-66
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