High School Preservice Teachers Research Articles

Supporting Preservice Mathematics Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Focus on Teaching for Social Justice

This paper reports on how 10 middle and high school preservice teachers (PSTs) designed a social justice focused lesson using the culturally responsive mathematics teaching (CRMT) tool. Results from our analysis indicate that most of the PSTs were able to select appropriate social justice topics, though not all the PSTs integrated mathematics and social justice throughout their lessons. The results show that most of the PSTs need more experience with mathematization, handling controversial discussions, and developing transformative student action. Our work also led to a modification of the tool (CRMT-M). We discuss the implications of the study for mathematics teacher preparation.

Exploring Puerto Rican Preservice Teachers’ Resilience: A Focus Group Study

This study explored the experiences of 10 Puerto Rican middle and high school preservice teachers at the end of their student teaching experience. The qualitative design, using the focus group technique, provided insight into the phenomenon of teachers’ resilience. The analysis incorporated the main constructs of resilience-building proposed by Jordan’s model of relational resilience: mutuality, empowerment, and development of courage. This study reinforced the notion of the importance of promoting supportive relationships with mentors and students. These relationships empowered teachers and helped them become more skilled in their profession. Addressing more aspects of resilience-building including before, during, and after their student teaching field experience could benefit preservice teachers in thriving in the profession induction process.

Learning From the “Little Guys”: What do Middle and High School Preservice Teachers Learn from Tutoring Elementary Students?

As teacher educators, we continue to focus on tutoring experiences as ways to help tutors connect coursework to practice. This study presents a preservice tutoring program designed to provide a field-based experience where the tutors would be able to (a) learn about literacy instruction, (b) use a multitude of assessment data rather than representing students by single scores, (c) design literacy curriculum based on students' needs, and (d) focus on motivating students to read and write in addition to helping them succeed academically. Unlike previous studies, the tutors were middle and high school preservice teachers tutoring elementary struggling readers.