An International Study to Investigate Prospective Teachers’ Content Knowledge of the Area Concept

The role of subject knowledge in primary prospective teachers’ approaches to teaching the topic of area

“…She intended to employ activities that would lead naturally to the children's understanding, and she suggested that the children would use their own strategies, rather than a stated procedure. Berenson et al's (1997) study had suggested that prospective teachers, who focus on teaching procedures, are those who have a limited understanding and overreliance on procedures. Alan did not appear to have limited understanding, but his accurate use of the formulae did appear as strength.…”

“…Lesson plans provide a source of data in assessing prospective teachers' professional development. They can also provide useful cues in follow-up interviews when the activities, explanations, and questions used by the prospective teachers help to generate further descriptions (Berenson et al 1997;John 1991). Although lesson plans are limited to demonstrating prospective teachers' espoused theory of action (Argyris and Schon 1974), they can be seen as effective in indicating prospective teachers' selection of teaching activities and can be used to examine the connections with subject knowledge.…”

“…Their study also suggested that less confident teachers were more likely to be oriented toward mathematics as knowing, due to the lack of confidence in dealing with the questions that might be asked through an enquiry-based approach. Berenson et al's (1997) study examined how primary prospective teachers plan to use representations in their teaching and how these uses reflected subject matter knowledge. The study showed that many prospective teachers planned to explain mathematical ideas through the use of procedures and formulae.…”

“…The accepted importance of subject knowledge would suggest that a teacher, with limited understanding of the mathematical concepts, would not be effective in developing children's understanding for a topic. Studies, such as Berenson et al (1997), have found that many prospective teachers represented the topic of area through the demonstration of procedures and the use of formulae, rather than focusing on activities that would support understanding. What we do not know is whether these were the prospective teachers who, themselves, had limited understanding.…”

Improving the Ability of Mathematics (Conceptual and Procedural) Through Mathematical Investigation on Prospective Elementary Teachers

“…Similarly, research has shown thatprospective teachers rely on procedures in other areas of mathematics, such as functions [3] and division [4]. The accepted importance ofsubject knowledge would suggest that a teacher, with limited understanding of the mathematical concepts, would not be effective in developing children's understanding for a topic.Studies, such as [5], have found that many prospective teachers represented the topic of area through the demonstration of procedures and the use of formulae,rather than focusing on activities that would support understanding. What we do not knowiswhether these were the prospective teachers who, themselves, had limited understanding.…”