Pre-service primary teachers have a say on genericism in mathematics curriculum preparation

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to document pre-service primary school teachers’ responses to manifestations of genericism in mathematics teacher preparation. Specifically, it documents their responses to curriculum units that focus on developing mathematical content knowledge and specific mathematical pedagogical knowledge. Contextualised in an Australian initial teacher education program, the pre-service teachers (n = 789) were surveyed at the commencement of their units to gain insights into what they considered important to learn in their forthcoming mathematics curriculum units. Qualitative responses to the survey were categorised using thematic analysis and then used to guide the development of tailored units. The mathematics curriculum units focused on attempting to ensure depth of school mathematics content knowledge and specific pedagogy associated with this mathematics. A second survey, administered through post-course evaluations (n = 405), suggests that pre-service teachers overwhelmingly valued the modelling of specific pedagogies and scaffolding of the teaching and learning of school mathematics concepts. The results have implications for the teaching of mathematics in initial teacher education programs, particularly in Australia but also elsewhere where there is an increasing emphasis on pre-service teachers being classroom ready at graduation. This includes a deep and connected knowledge of the mathematics and range of pedagogies for the mathematics they will soon be certified to teach.