Preservice Secondary Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching: Focus on Reflective Practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mathematics education researchers have highlighted that preservice secondary mathematics teachers (PSTs) need opportunities to learn how their content knowledge is contextualized during instruction. Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) subdomains provide a way to understand mathematics discipline-specific knowledge that is unique to the profession of teaching. Using a single case study design, we investigated how 11 secondary PSTs described MKT subdomains as they engaged in approximations of practice in the form of lesson planning, peer teaching, and associated guided reflections. The findings demonstrated that the PSTs referenced the MKT subdomains related to planned teacher actions (e.g., posing scripted questions) in their initial reflections. As they progressed through the approximations of practice and associated reflections, they began reflecting on MKT subdomains related to contingency actions and decisions (e.g., modifying mathematical tasks based on students’ thinking). Findings also demonstrated that, after experiences reflecting, the PSTs described a broader set of MKT subdomains (e.g., curricular trajectory) in addition to their responses to the specific prompts. We argue that providing PSTs with opportunities to reflect on their practices through the lens of MKT is an effective way to develop their understanding of how content knowledge is contextualized during mathematics teaching.