Noticing Student Mathematical Thinking: Self-Contemplation of a Pre-Service Teacher

Serife Sevinc,Enrique Galindo

doi:10.30935/scimath/11489

Abstract

This study focused on a pre-service teacher’s self-contemplations about the two opportunities provided in a field experience course, Formative Assessment Interviews (FAIs) and Model Building (MB), which were designed to support pre-service teachers developing the skills of noticing students’ mathematical thinking. In the field experience, pre-service teachers conducted FAIs with a pair of children and participated in MB sessions to hypothesize students’ mathematical thinking. The findings suggest that although the pre-service teacher, Gloria, experienced some challenges, FAIs and MBs created a supportive medium for the pre-service teacher’s development of noticing student thinking and appreciating the value of this practice, which is important to gain in teacher education.

Highlights

It is important to notice and understand students’ thinking to be able to teach effectively
This study focused on a pre-service teacher’s self-contemplations about the two opportunities provided in a field experience course, Formative Assessment Interviews (FAIs) and Model Building (MB), which were designed to support pre-service teachers developing the skills of noticing students’ mathematical thinking
The findings suggest that the pre-service teacher, Gloria, experienced some challenges, FAIs and MBs created a supportive medium for the pre-service teacher’s development of noticing student thinking and appreciating the value of this practice, which is important to gain in teacher education

Summary

Introduction

It is important to notice and understand students’ thinking to be able to teach effectively. To decide on all these ‘rights’, teachers need to notice students’ ways of thinking, including any (pre)conceptions and misconceptions they may have To do so, they need to work with students either individually or as a group to identify their thinking, and utilize this exploration to make appropriate decisions in designing instructional activities and selecting materials for their students (Doerr & Lesh, 2003; Koellner-Clark & Lesh, 2003). The Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) project, for instance, showed how students’ achievement increased when teachers considered their solution strategies and different ways of thinking (e.g., Carpenter et al, 2000; Fennema et al, 1992). Considering this function of noticing students’ thinking, teacher education programs should provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to learn to notice students’ thinking and learn to use their understanding of student thinking to inform their teaching (Jacobs et al, 2010; Lingefjärd, 2002; van Es & Sherin, 2002)

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