Using Self-study to Challenge my Teaching Practice in Mathematics Education

Abstract

The author describes how she has come to think about self-study in different ways as she has become involved in the reform movement in mathematics teaching and learning. Self-study not only has the capacity to improve personal practice but also to contribute to the reform of teacher education practices in general. To do this, serious self-study must use research methods which are rigorous and thorough. In her self-study of teacher education practices she discovered that it was essential to be familiar with the students' beliefs as well as her own. She found that prospective primary school teachers often held beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning that constrained their access to rich and powerful ways of learning. She consequently needed to revise her practice to help students challenge these beliefs. However, careful study of the new practices also revealed some obstacles. In the article, the author suggests several conditions that need to exist if self-study of teacher education practices is to be a fruitful activity for those engaged in the demanding task of challenging students' beliefs.