Structured Conference Participation: Building Professional Identity in Preservice Mathematics Teachers

This research examined how pre-service mathematics teachers (PMTs) plan to support argumentation in their lessons about the hierarchical relationships among the quadrilaterals and what they notice during planning. The participants of this case study were eight pre-service middle-school mathematics teachers. Data consisted of the PMTs’ argumentation-supported lesson plans and video recording of the focus group meeting conducted to discuss their plans. The results revealed that the PMTs preferred to use various questions and actions that support the argumentation process and these generated different argumentation sections that mostly included data, claim and warrant. The PMTs’ statements about argumentation indicated in the focus group meeting were related to attending, responding and interpreting components of noticing, respectively. The PMTs generally provided evidence for their attention mostly to student and mathematical content while planning argumentation-supported lessons. The study presents a novel view of illustrating the PMTs’ argumentation-supported lesson plans and their noticing about it.

This study investigates how pre-service mathematics teachers (PMTs) develop the capacity to plan mathematics lessons regarding reasoning and proving (R&P) at a time of curriculum change in Norway. Lesson planning poses challenges for both pre-service and experienced mathematics teachers. In this EU-funded intervention study, PMTs were led through iterative cycles of learning about different approaches to R&P; designing and refining R&P tasks from reform-oriented textbooks and other resources; developing lesson plans; implementing lessons in the classroom; reflecting on and revising their plans; engaging in peer discussions. The goal was to develop Grade 8 lesson plans that supported pupil reasoning. Using a case study approach, data were collected through multiple methods, including pre- and post-intervention interviews with PMTs; reflective texts; lesson plan iterations (several versions throughout the intervention); and observation field notes. Results from the Norwegian data showed that providing PMTs with commonly used reform-oriented textbooks or teacher guides is insufficient. Instead, PMTs require additional support in two key areas: (a) Understanding different types of R&P across various mathematical domains and tasks, and (b) Developing comprehensive lesson plans that address all key components, such as learning objectives, activities, assessment, pupil thinking and misconceptions, and the teacher’s role. By framing curriculum design as part of teachers’ lifelong professional learning, this study contributes to ongoing research on how PMTs develop curricular expertise with the support of curriculum resources.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the instruction with mathematical modeling on pre-service mathematics teachers’ mathematical modeling performance. The participants were 24 pre-service elementary mathematics teachers. A mixed method approach was used to conduct the research. Each week, the participants were given two mathematical modeling problems and solved them as a group. After that, each group shared their solutions with the class so that there was an opportunity to focus on different solution methods. The data was collected via a pre and a post mathematical modeling test. SPSS package program was utilized in order to determine the significance level of the difference between the test results. One of the participants’ solutions in the pre-test and in the post-test was also analyzed to enhance the results. The result showed that the instruction based on mathematical modeling improved pre-service teachers’ mathematical modeling performance.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how pre-service mathematics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge was reflected in their microteaching. Twenty preservice secondary mathematics teachers participated in the study. The participants formed groups of two, three or four people of their choice, resulting in six groups in total. Each group designed and conducted a microteaching on a topic of their choice. The videotapes of the groups’ microteaching and their lesson plans constituted the data set for the study. We analyzed the data per the components of the pedagogical content knowledge framework outlined by various researchers. We found that the preservice mathematics teachers in general were knowledgeable about different instructional strategies and the curriculum about the topic of their microteaching, but their knowledge of learners was relatively poor. Implications for teacher education are discussed.

This study aims to examine the professional self-esteem of pre-service primary school mathematics teachers in the context of their beliefs about the nature of mathematics. The study has a quantitative design and 220 pre-service mathematics teachers voluntarily participated in the study. In the data analysis of this study based on a quantitative research design, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analyzes were performed and the Pearson correlation coefficient was determined. According to the findings of the study, professional self-esteem and belief about the mathematics' nature are not affected by gender and grade level. In addition, professional self-esteem of the pre-service teachers who believe that mathematics is a branch of science open to exploration, knowledge generation, and related to other sciences and daily life, may be said to be higher-positive than the professional self-esteem of the pre-service mathematics teachers who perceive mathematics as a set of unrelated concepts and formulas or believe that mathematics is a deductive and precise body of knowledge.

Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers' Views on the Use of Portfolios in Their Education as an Alternative Assessment Method.

This study investigated the effects of Van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy on retention of achievement among pre-service mathematics teachers in Niger State, Nigeria. It also examined the influence of gender and interaction effects of teaching method and gender on retention of achievement. The study adopts a two-by-two (2X2) pretest posttest quasi experimental factorial design. 149 pre-service mathematics teachers from two colleges of education in Niger State were purposively selected for the study. Geometry Achievement Test (GAT) was used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained using Cronbach alpha. GAT was administered to pre-service mathematics teachers as pretest, posttest and retention test. The pre-service mathematics teachers’ retention test scores were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results indicated that the pre-service mathematics teachers’ taught geometry using van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy retained significantly what was taught better in retention test than their counterparts taught geometry using conventional teaching strategy. However, there was no significant difference reported in the retention test performance scores based on gender and interaction effect. It was however suggested that since the treatment (van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy) were found to be effective in enhancing pre-service teachers’ retention of achievement, it should therefore be use by lecturers in teaching not only geometry but mathematics in general. This study investigated the effects of Van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy on retention of achievement among pre-service mathematics teachers in Niger State, Nigeria. It also examined the influence of gender and interaction effects of teaching method and gender on retention of achievement. The study adopts a two-by-two (2X2) pretest posttest quasi experimental factorial design. 149 pre-service mathematics teachers from two colleges of education in Niger State were purposively selected for the study. Geometry Achievement Test (GAT) was used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained using Cronbach alpha. GAT was administered to pre-service mathematics teachers as pretest, posttest and retention test. The pre-service mathematics teachers’ retention test scores were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results indicated that the pre-service mathematics teachers’ taught geometry using van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy retained significantly what was taught better in retention test than their counterparts taught geometry using conventional teaching strategy. However, there was no significant difference reported in the retention test performance scores based on gender and interaction effect. It was however suggested that since the treatment (van Hiele’s phase-based teaching strategy) were found to be effective in enhancing pre-service teachers’ retention of achievement, it should therefore be use by lecturers in teaching not only geometry but mathematics in general.

This study aimed to investigate the experiences of pre-service mathematics (PSM) teachers with computers and their attitudes toward them. The Computer Attitude Scale, Computer Competency Survey, and Computer Use Information Form were administered to 180 Turkish PSM teachers. Results revealed that most PSM teachers used computers at home and at Internet cafes, and that their competency was generally intermediate and upper level. The study concludes that PSM teachers' attitudes about computers differ according to their years of study, computer ownership, level of computer competency, frequency of computer use, computer experience, and whether they had attended a computer-aided instruction course. However, computer attitudes were not affected by gender.

<p style="text-align: justify;">Preservice mathematics teachers' beliefs about actions related to the use of the technological tools in teaching mathematics may affect how they are going to use them in their classroom activities. However, there is a limited evidence of what beliefs they hold on their intended actions of using technological tools in teaching mathematics. This study presents two preservice high school mathematics teachers' actional beliefs related to their intended actions in teaching geometric transformations (GTs) using Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP). The study comprised of a series of five task-based qualitative interviews with each of two senior undergraduate preservice teachers at a medium-sized public university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. This study used a radical constructivist grounded theory (RCGT) with five assumptions—symbiosis, voice, cognition, adaptation, and praxis as a theoretical framework to guide the study process. The thematic findings of the study included four in vivo categories of their beliefs associated with actions of teaching GTs with GSP – assessment of student learning, engaging students in a group activity in exploring GTs with GSP, engaging students in individual activity in exploring GTs with GSP, and exploring GTs with GSP as 'suck it up and do it.' Pedagogical implications of these categories have been discussed.</p>

In online learning during this pandemic, pre-service mathematics teachers’ engagement is the key to success in mathematics course, especially in analytic geometry courses. The way to encourage, pre-service mathematics teachers’ engagement in analytical geometry lectures is to use a geogebra applet-based didactic design. This study aims to describe, pre-service mathematics teachers’ engagement in online lectures using geogebra, namely in analytical geometry and multivariable calculus courses. This research was conducted on 72 pre-service mathematics teachers who enrolled in analytic geometry or multivariate courses. Data were collected using a Math Engagement Scales questionnaire consisting of cognitive, behavioral, social and emotional dimensions. This questionnaire uses a Likert scale. The data were analyzed quantitatively descriptively. The results show that pre-service mathematics teachers' engagement is in the high category. In detail, pre-service mathematics teachers’ engagement in the high category in terms of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social engagement. These results show the use of geogebra applet-based didactic design can encourage pre-service mathematics teachers' engagement in online lectures.

The aim of the research is to examine preservice science and preservice mathematics teachers’ mathematics anxiety and beliefs about the nature of mathematics, as well as to reveal whether they differ according to the teacher training program. Moreover, this study investigates whether there is a relationship between beliefs about the nature of mathematics and mathematics anxiety. The study consisted of a survey research and was carried out with 213 junior and senior preservice elementary science and mathematics teachers. Data collection tools were Philosophical Thoughts about the Nature of Mathematics Scale (PTNM) and Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze mathematics anxiety and beliefs scores of preservice elementary teachers. The study revealed that most of the preservice teachers’ scores on beliefs about the nature of mathematics were high and their mathematics anxiety scores were low. The results indicated that there were significant differences in both belief scores and mathematics anxiety scores in favor of preservice mathematics teachers. In addition, there was a high negative correlation between preservice teachers’ PTNM and MAS scores.

This study aimed to examine pre-service middle school mathematics teachers' purposes of using ChatGPT in lesson plan development. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, was applied in this study. A total of 56 third-grade pre-service middle school mathematics teachers, 43 females and 13 males were selected for the study. A questionnaire with open-ended questions was employed to gather data. First, pre-service teachers were asked to select one or more learning outcomes in the mathematics curriculum and prepare a lesson plan to address these outcomes using the ChatGPT program. Then, they completed the questionnaire. Content analysis was utilized in the current study to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, ChatGPT served as a valuable tool for pre-service mathematics teachers during lesson plan development. While not all participants utilized it for every subcategory, ChatGPT played a significant role in various aspects, including determining the subject scope, getting creative and interesting ideas, explaining math concepts, establishing relationships and the course flow, developing learning activities, problems, and evaluation tools, and even reviewing and improving the lesson plan. Moreover, pre-service teachers used ChatGPT to deepen their knowledge of mathematical concepts, learning strategies, and teaching models. However, it is important to remember that ChatGPT should be viewed as a support system, not a replacement for a teacher's knowledge and expertise.

The aim of the present study is to investigate pre-service secondary mathematics teachers' cognitive-metacognitive behaviours during the mathematical problem-solving process considering class level. The study, in which the case study methodology was employed, was carried out with eight pre-service mathematics teachers, enrolled at a university in Erzincan, Turkey. We collected data via think aloud protocols in which metacognitive supports are provided and not provided and with unstructured metacognitive protocols related to the process. The metacognitive support provided to the pre-service teachers and this case caused an increase in the numbers of cognitive-metacognitive behaviours in class level in general. Any pattern was not encountered for the sequences of cognitive-metacognitive behaviours in the process of mathematical modelling during the stages in which metacognitive support was given and was not given but some little patterns were detected. It was noticed that there was no relationship with respect to the metacognitive support and without metacognitive support between and frequencies of cognitive-metacognitive behaviour mathematical modelling progress. The 1st and 2nd grade-pre-service teachers claimed that the metacognitive support contributed to them such factors as understanding and detailing, the 3rd and 4th graders expressed that it enabled them to follow, reach alternative ways of solution. The participants, during the stage in which the metacognitive support was provided, demonstrated more success during the process of mathematical modelling compared with the first stage.

The ability to teach with technology is the uppermost thing that teachers need to develop for teaching in this modern world society. Thisstudy investigated the effect of Technology and Information in a Mathematics education course based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework on Pre-Service Mathematics teachers' TPACK. The data was collected from 23 pre service mathematics teachers at a university in Bangkok, Thailand. The course was designed by synthesizing existing literature on the TPACK framework and tailoring it to the specific needs and technological resources available to the participants. We used content analysis and intelligent verbatim transcription techniques to analyze pre-service mathematics teachers' TPACK from the video-recorded micro-teaching sessions and lesson plans. The result indicated that the Mathematics TPACKbased course positively affected pre-service Mathematics teachers' TPACK. It is recommended that instructors should prioritize the pre-service teachers' ability to formulate relevant questions to strengthen student learning in mathematics.

This study aims at evaluating pre-service primary school mathematics teachers’ ability to discuss and question thinking processes of students about the concepts of variable, equality and equation, analyzing their ability to predict student difficulties and misconceptions, and in this respect presenting their subject matter knowledge and possible misconceptions on the related topic. The study was conducted with 130 the pre-service teachers in their fourth year studying elementary school mathematics teaching. The data were collected through a questionnaire that consists of open-ended questions and clinical interviews. The data obtained were analyzed qualitatively. The study found that in general the pre-service teachers were inadequate in terms of knowledge of students’ about algebraic concepts, they had insufficient subject matter knowledge and they had misconceptions.