Elementary Mathematics Teachers Research Articles

Emergency remote teaching as a window into elementary teachers’ mathematics instructional systems in Finland and the U.S.

This cross-cultural study examines how elementary mathematics teachers in Finland and the United States shifted their instructional systems during the period of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in the spring of 2020. Using Ruthven's (2009) framework of Structural Features of Classroom Practice, researchers analysed 15 teachers’ descriptions of their mathematics teaching during ERT in contrast to their typical practice. Exploring how teachers in both contexts navigated challenges of ERT through a cross-cultural lens allowed researchers to identify similarities and differences in teaching practices and use of activity formats, synthesized in composite models of teachers’ instructional systems. The differences in the systems can be traced to underlying cultural assumptions about the nature of elementary mathematics education and the roles of teachers, students, and curriculum resources within each system.

Technology supported teaching implementations designed to improve critical thinking skills

This research evaluated the influence of technology-based teaching models on the development of critical thinking abilities in elementary school mathematics teacher candidates, as measured using Facione's (1990) criteria. The research was conducted with fourth-grade students studying in the Faculty of Education, Elementary Mathematics Education at a state university in the Marmara Region of Türkiye during the 2019-2020 Fall Semester. A case study research design was used to obtain a qualitative understanding of the participants' experiences. Two pre-service teachers were video-recorded throughout the research implementation process (5 weeks in total, from the 3rd week when the teaching model practices started to the 7th week when it ended). The dialogues in the video recording were analyzed using the descriptive analysis technique. Keywords and sentences describing the critical thinking sub-skills identified by Facione (1990) were observed to be included in the student dialogues, especially in the implementations of the designed teaching model that required the use of GeoGebra. These dialogues concluded that the proposed instructional model programs are consistent with the critical thinking competencies, include activities to use critical thinking skills, and can provide opportunities for developing critical thinking skills.

The Opinions of Pre-Service Elementary Mathematics Teachers on the Courses in the Undergraduate Programs Before 2018 and 2018 According to the Framework of General Competencies for Teaching Profession

Bu araştırmada öğretmenlik mesleği genel yeterlikleri çerçevesinde ilköğretim matematik öğretmeni adaylarının 2018 öncesi ve 2018 lisans programlarındaki derslere yönelik görüşlerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bir fenomenoloji çalışması olarak desenlenen bu araştırma, 10 ilköğretim matematik öğretmeni adayı ile yürütülmüştür. Veri toplama aracı, Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı’nın (2017) yayınladığı öğretmenlik mesleği genel yeterlikleri doğrultusunda hazırlanmıştır. Katılımcılardan öğretmenlik mesleği genel yeterlikleri çerçevesinde belirtilen 65 farklı göstergenin kazanılması için 2018 lisans programında yer alan hangi derslerin katkı sağladığını belirtmesi ve nedenini açıklamaları istenmiştir. Buna ek olarak göstergelerin kazanılmasında 2018 öncesi uygulanan lisans programındaki dersleri de inceleyip, eksik gördükleri dersleri belirtmeleri ve neden eklenmesi gerektiğini açıklamaları istenmiştir. Toplanan veriler betimsel olarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları genel olarak değerlendirildiğinde 2018 lisans programında yer alan genel kültür ve meslek bilgisi derslerinin öğretmenlik mesleği yeterliğini karşılamada yeterli olduğu ancak alan eğitimi ile ilgili derslerin eksikleri olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Yine öğretmen adaylarının görüşleri doğrultusunda özellikle alan bilgisi bağlamında, 2018 öncesi uygulanan programın da dikkate alınması gerektiği önerilmektedir.

Fostering AI Literacy in Elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Education in the Age of Generative AI

The advancement of generative AI technologies underscores the need for AI literacy, particularly in Southeast Asia’s elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. This study explores the development of AI literacy principles for elementary students. Utilizing existing AI literacy models, a three-session classroom intervention was implemented in an Indonesian school, grounded in constructivist, constructionist, and transformative learning theories. Through design-based research (DBR) and network analysis of reflection papers (n = 77), the intervention was evaluated and redesigned. Findings revealed clusters of interdependent elements of learner experiences, categorized into successes, struggles, and alignments with learning theories. These were translated into design moves for future intervention iterations, forming design principles for AI literacy development. The study contributes insights into optimizing the positive effects and minimizing the negative impacts of AI in education.

Teachers’ Perspectives on the Development of Augmented Reality Application in Geometry Topic for Elementary School

Augmented Reality (AR) is a new evolving technology that can enhance the learning experienceby making learning more engaging, has a beneficial influence on teaching and learning,and assists in comprehension, specifically when it comes to abstract concepts. Teachers playa pivotal role in accelerating the widespread use of AR in education, making it crucial toget their thoughts and perspectives. Based on the perspectives of mathematics teachers, thisresearch aims to determine the necessity for developing an augmented reality learning applicationin the geometry topic for elementary school students through a questionnaire that hasbeen answered by 52 elementary mathematics teachers from Northern State Malaysia. Thefindings of this study were analyzed using descriptive analysis with a value of Cronbach alpha(α = 0.98). The findings of the study indicate three main elements that need to be emphasizedfor the AR development process, namely learning strategy design, presentation design, andinteractivity design. Based on the mean of the research conducted, the findings of the threeelements indicate a significant necessity. The development of AR applications must incorporatethese three elements in order to assist elementary school mathematics teachers in designingAR learning applications that maximize student achievement.

The application of task-based teaching method in elementary school mathematics education

In contemporary mathematics education, the task-based teaching method has garnered significant attention and exploration as an efficient instructional approach. This article integrates multiple instructional cases to elucidate the concept and characteristics of the task-based teaching method. It delves into the role of task-based teaching method and explores key considerations and issues that should be paid attention to when employing this approach in elementary school mathematics education.

The Effect of Peer Mentoring on Acceptance of and Intention to Use Web 2.0 Tools

Purpose: This study seeks to shed light on the effect of peer mentoring on the acceptance of and intention to use Web 2.0 tools.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: In the study, the static-group comparison pretest-posttest design, which falls into the category of weak experimental designs, was applied. The study group consisted of 165 (Experiment=76, Control=89) pre-service teachers continuing their second-year education in different departments of a public university in the 2021-2022 academic year. The implementation period of the study lasted for eight weeks and a total of 16 hours. In the study, the "unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model-2 / UTAUT2" scale was used as a data collection tool. The SPSS 26 package program was employed to analyse the data obtained in theß study. T-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and correlational t- test were used in the analyses.
 Findings: İt was concluded that the acceptance of and intention to use Web 2.0 tools among the- pre-service teachers receiving peer mentoring and teacher guidance were positively affected with a higher rate of effect for pre-service teachers receiving peer mentoring. Results based on gender revealed that the effect of peer mentoring on the acceptance of and intention to use technology among pre-service teachers was in favour of female pre-service teachers in various constructs. Results based on the ownership of a computer revealed that the effect was in favour of pre-service teachers owning computers in various constructs. And finally, results based on the department variable revealed that the effect was at a higher level for pre-service teachers in English Language Education than pre-service teachers in Elementary Mathematics Education. The results of the present study also contain some recommendations for future studies on the topic.
 Highlights: The effect of different blended models can be examined in similar studies. Similar studies can be carried out with a full experimental design and mixed model methods. Studies can be re-examined with different variables.

The Use of the KWDL Technique in Developing Grade 4 Elementary School Student Combined Operations

The ability to recognize one’s learning processes is important for learning mathematics as it helps learners to practice the thinking process of how each element works in solving mathematics problems. The K-W-D-L technique has emerged as a technique that could bring about metacognition in learning and it could be beneficial in elementary school mathematics education. The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the K-W-D-L technique on the learning achievement of fourth-grade elementary school students in combined operations. The participants grade 4 students in a public school in the Thai educational context. They were cluster sampling methods. The instruments were a K-W-D-L learning management plan, a learning achievement test, and a mathematic problem-solving test. The statistics used in data analysis were percentage, mean score, standard deviation, one sample t-test, and effectiveness index. The results of the study indicate the effectiveness index of the learning management plan designed using the K-W-D-L technique reached the determining criteria. Moreover, both participants’ learning achievement and mathematic problem-solving abilities were found to be at the desired level of the class.

Creative Problem Posing: Analysis of the Problems Posed Towards Different Strategies by Prospective Mathematics Teachers

The purpose of this study is to analyze problems posed by prospective elementary mathematics teachers of towards different strategies in scope of creativity. Participants of the study are 36 prospective teachers, who take the course of “Problem Solving Strategies”. In this course they study problem-solving strategies. At the end of the course, they were asked to pose three problems suitable for the strategies. Each participant posed a total of 27 problems with three problems for each 9 problem-solving strategies. Problems posed by participants were analyzed in terms of the indicators of fluency, flexibility and originality and chi-square independence test was applied so as to determine whether the creativity of problem posing depends on the strategies. It was seen that fluency had the highest average among all strategies excluding the conscious guessing and control strategy. It was seen that the drawing strategy had the highest average among the strategies in scope of flexibility and the conscious guess and control strategy had the highest average among the strategies in scope of originality. Also it as seen that participants’ creativity levels for various strategies are usually high, and in some cases in the higher echelons of the medium category. This small variation is found to be statistically significant.

Microteaching and Peer Assessment in Mathematics Teaching Practice

Considering the characteristics that teachers should have, concepts such as critical thinking, active learning, taking responsibility, evaluation, analysis, self-evaluation and reflective thinking are important. In this context, micro-teaching and peer assessment methods come to the fore. Micro-teaching is defined as sharing a part of the course with peers and receiving feedback from peers or advisors. Peer assessment, on the other hand, involves providing constructive suggestions among peers, reviewing and giving feedback according to predetermined criteria. In the study, pre-service teachers' views on micro-teaching and peer assessment methods were evaluated. The study was designed as a case study, one of the qualitative research methods. The participants of the study consisted of eight pre-service mathematics teachers studying in the Department of Elementary Mathematics Teaching at a university in Turkey. Questionnaires about microteaching and peer assessment were used as data collection tools. A 14-week microteaching and peer assessment implementation process was carried out with the participants. As a result of the applications, pre-service mathematics teachers' opinions about these concepts were obtained. As a result, the pre-service teachers stated that the application provided positive developments in their cognitive, affective and psychomotor behaviors and that they gained professional experience.

Analisis Kesulitan Guru SD Negeri Kecamatan Keruak dalam Menerapkan K13 Materi Pembelajaran Matematika

This study aims to analyze the difficulties of mathematics teachers at the Public Elementary School in the Keruak sub-district in implementing the 2013 curriculum. The type of research used is mixed research.Research/Mixed Methods is a method in finding facts about the status of a group of people, an object, a condition, a system of thought, or an event with the right interpretation (Sedarmayanti and Hidayat, 2002).Data collection techniques in this study used a questionnaire filled out by respondents (elementary school teachers).Questionnaire is a data collection technique that is carried out by giving a set of questions or written statements to respondents to answer.The data from the results of calculations and data analysis,shows that there are three faktors that influence the difficulty of elementary mathematics teachers in implementing the K13 curriculum, namely the teacher faktor of 50.89%, the student faktor of 63.89%, and the faktor of the supporting facilities is 58.80%.So it can be concluded that there are three main faktors that influence the difficulty of elementary mathematics teachers in implementing K13 in each school, namely teacher faktors, student faktors, and supporting facilities faktors.

Teachers’ Views on Online Mathematics Teaching Barriers During The Covid-19 Pandemic: The Case of Turkey

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey's 19 million students and 1.2 million teachers rely entirely on online instruction. This study looks at the perspectives of math teachers on the teacher, school, curriculum, and student hurdles to E-learning deployment during the COVID-19 epidemic. It also evaluates the connection between the degree of barriers and teachers' backgrounds. Furthermore, it assesses the relationship between barrier levels with teachers’ demographic backgrounds. This study collected data through an online questionnaire, and random sampling was employed. The sample consisted of 364 participants (210 male and 154 female) who were middle school and elementary school mathematics teachers. According to the study's findings, the student-level barrier had the biggest influence on adopting e-learning. The school- and curriculum-level barriers are positively connected with the student-level barrier. The study found that barriers were unaffected by the backgrounds of teachers. This study highlights the significance of student voices in overcoming e-learning challenges and utilizing its advantages during this epidemic and beyond.

공간 감각 신장을 지원하는 초등수학 교수․학습의 방향성 탐색

This study aims to explore the direction of elementary mathematics teaching and learning to support the development of spatial sense. For this purpose, tasks in elementary mathematics textbooks dealing with spatial sense were analyzed from the perspectives of spatial sense and levels of cognitive demands. The results showed that Korean textbooks provided tasks related to mental rotation, mental transformation, mental dimensional transformation, and positional sense in terms of spatial sense, and PNC, PWC, and DM tasks in terms of the levels of cognitive demands. In order to explore the direction of teaching and learning related to the spatial sense of three-dimensional shapes, we analyzed publicly available teaching and learning materials from IREM in France as an example of a task with distinctive features from the Korean textbooks tasks. Based on this analysis and discussion, implications were drawn for the direction of elementary mathematics teaching and learning that supports the development of spatial sense in terms of task development, curriculum, and teaching and learning methods.

Analysis of Mathematics Teacher Candidates' Metacognitive Regulation Skills in the Context of Problem Posing Activity

This study aims to examine the metacognitive regulation skills of elementary mathematics teacher (EMT) candidates during the problem-posing process. The case study method, a qualitative data approach, was used in the study. The participants were five EMT candidates studying in the 2nd year of a state university's Elementary Mathematics Teaching program. The study data were collected by a semi-structured problem-posing activity called "House Problem" created by Getzels and Jackson (1962) and organized by Leung in 1993. The problems posed by teacher candidates were completed, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The data obtained were analyzed according to the researchers' theoretical framework for metacognitive regulation skills (prediction, planning, monitoring, and evaluation). Regarding the metacognitive regulation skills exhibited by EMT candidates in problem-posing situations, it has been concluded that their prediction and monitoring skills are higher than their planning and evaluation skills. Many studies in the literature examine metacognitive skills in the problem-solving process, but the studies focusing on metacognitive skills in the problem-posing process are rare. For this reason, it is thought that the studies focusing on the metacognitive skills of students and teachers in the problem-posing process will contribute to the field.

초등 수학 교육에서 양 개념의 이해 : 대상, 분수, 단위의 결합표기가 나타내는 양을 중심으로

초등 수학 교육에서 양 개념의 이해 : 대상, 분수, 단위의 결합표기가 나타내는 양을 중심으로

İlköğretim Matematik Öğretmen Adaylarının STEM Eğitimine Yönelik Tutumları ile 21. Yüzyıl Becerileri Yeterlilik Algıları Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi

This study aimed to determine the relationship between elementary mathematics teacher candidates' attitudes towards STEM education and proficiency perceptions of 21st-century skills. The relational screening model, which is used to determine the relationship between two or more variables, was used from quantitative research methods. The sample of the study consists of 71 elementary mathematics teachers. The data were collected with two measurement tools, “STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) Education Attitude Scale” and “21st Century Skills and Competences Scale Directed at Teaching Candidates”. In the study, it was investigated whether there is a significant difference in the attitudes of elementary school mathematics teacher candidates towards STEM education according to grade level and gender, whether there is a significant difference in 21st-century skills proficiency perceptions according to grade level and gender, and whether there is a significant relationship between their attitudes towards STEM education and 21st-century skills. As a result of the analyses conducted, it has been determined that there is a significant difference in 21st-century skills proficiency perceptions according to grade levels. It was concluded that there is no significant relationship between their attitudes towards STEM education and their perceptions of 21st-century skills competence.

Exploring the pedagogical practices of seasoned elementary mathematics teachers and connections with their content knowledge and beliefs

AbstractThis inquiry examined the pedagogical practices in mathematics of elementary teachers (N = 27) who had been identified as experienced and successful and were working in an urban school district with underserved student populations. Also investigated were relationships between their instructional practices and other elements of proficient teaching of mathematics, including specialized content knowledge and beliefs. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via a knowledge assessment, belief surveys, classroom observations, and individual interviews. The findings related to learner‐centered, equitable mathematics instruction reveal a mixed picture of understanding and enactment by the participants, illuminating variability and complexity, especially within the context of a standardized model for instructional delivery. Participants expressed constraints in implementing learner‐centered, equitable mathematics instruction, particularly: prescribed, scripted lesson plans; teaching roles that involved instruction of many students thus contributing to lack of familiarity; and a mix of learners who were in‐class and remote due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The results also demonstrate that pedagogical practices were shaped by participants’ specialized content knowledge and to a more limited extent their beliefs. These data further reveal mixed endorsements of the different belief constructs. Considerations for teacher development are discussed.

Examining the Information Packages of “Teaching Principles and Methods” and “Intructional Technologies” in the Context of Accreditation

Purpose: This study aims to examine the information packages of compulsory professional pedagogical courses in elementary mathematics programs of the Faculty of Education, for which only the field of curriculum and instruction is responsible within educational sciences, according to accreditation.
 Methodology: Content analysis was performed within the study designed in line with the document analysis method. Frequency was used in analysis of the data collected through the packages of "Teaching Principles and Methods" and "Instructional Technologies" courses in 89 programs for training elementary education mathematics teachers. The study also includes categories and citations for reasons for incompatibility with accreditation. 
 Findings: It is concluded that approximately two-thirds of packages are incompatible. Almost all packages include the necessary parts. The activities and measurement&evaluation methods in private universities or accredited programs precede in terms of compatibility with accreditation. In general, the order of the elements from the most to the least compatible with the accreditation program are; activities, learning outcomes, course objective, and measurement&evaluation methods. 
 Highlights: It is noted that course packages are still not viewable. In terms of being compatible for certification, while certified programs are likely to have advantages over others, it is also probable that they may face comparable challenges.

3~4학년군 수학 교과서의 문제 만들기 과제 유형에 따른 학생들의 반응 분석

In order to enhance students' mathematical problem solving competency, the 2015 revised mathematics curriculum emphasized problem posing as a sub-factor of problem solving competency. In this study, we analyzed task types of problem posing in the 3rd and 4th grade mathematics authorized textbooks and students' responses to the representative types of problem posing task. As the results of analysis, even though they are the same lesson units, the number and types of problem posing tasks in the units varied by publishers, and there are differences in students' responses to each type. From the results of this study, some implications for constructing problem posing tasks in elementary mathematics textbook and teaching problem posing were suggested.

Preparing Preservice Teachers to Teach Equitably: A Longitudinal, Collaborative Interrogation of Two Mathematics Teacher Educators’ Positionalities

ABSTRACT Just as elementary mathematics teaching is complex and lacks a single appropriate method, the same is true for mathematics teacher education. There is no consensus around the best approach to preparing prospective mathematics teachers to have a strong command of mathematical concepts, a robust understanding of pedagogical approaches, and a disposition towards children and mathematics that accounts for the historical, sociocultural, and political contexts. We designed a longitudinal, collaborative self-study to explore the experiences and perspectives of each author, their pedagogical design of mathematics teacher education, and the connections of these to prospective teachers’ readiness to teach mathematics equitably. As part of a structured reflective process, we engaged in collaborative interrogation of written accounts of our backgrounds, experiences, and instructional choices. We also analyzed, using documentation tables and code mapping, journal entries following teaching sessions and inventories of class assignments to scrutinize if learning outcomes were realized in earnest. Our findings highlight how our personal and professional experiences shape our perspectives on schooling and mathematics teaching and learning, and how we make sense of equity in these contexts. These perspectives are evident in our course design and instruction, although this interrogation has raised questions about the efficacy of our work vis-a-vis our larger goals of preparing critically conscious mathematics teachers. This self-study underscores the imperative for mathematics teacher educators to examine both the contents of their course work and field experiences, as well as understand the reasons why those instructional choices were made.