Teaching the mathematics that teachers need to know: Classroom ideas for supporting prospective elementary teachers’ development of mathematical knowledge for teaching

Abstract

The goal of this article is to articulate aspects of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) that should be addressed in college mathematics content courses for prospective teachers (PTs), and to make research- and practice-based recommendations of class activities, materials, and strategies in support of developing this knowledge. We describe class activities that engage PTs in problem solving as a means of making sense of the content that they will later teach and that immerse them in the mathematics practices that they will later need to foster with their own students. We also provide examples of how mathematics manipulatives, school curriculum materials, and samples of children’s thinking can be integrated as instructional tools in content courses. In developing these activities, we were guided by the research regarding the depth and breadth of knowledge required for the effective teaching of mathematics at the early childhood and upper elementary levels, and by the recommendations of professional organizations for math teacher education.