Elementary Preservice Teachers' Changing Beliefs and Instructional Use of Children's Mathematical Thinking

Abstract

In this research, we examined changes in preservice elementary school teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics and their abilities to provide mathematics instruction that was based on children's thinking. The 34 participants in this study were introduced to Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) as part of a mathematics methods course. Belief-scale scores indicated that significant changes in their beliefs and perceptions about mathematics instruction occurred across the 2-year sequence of professional course work and student teaching during their undergraduate program but that their use of knowledge of children's mathematical thinking during instructional planning and teaching was limited. Preservice teachers may acknowledge the tenets of CGI and yet be unable to use them in their teaching. The results raise several questions about factors that may influence success in planning instruction on the basis of children's thinking.

Developing equitable elementary mathematics classrooms through teachers learning about children's mathematical thinking: Cognitively Guided Instruction as an inclusive pedagogy

“…There was evidence, following professional development in CGI, of growth in teachers' knowledge about the mathematical understanding of individual children. This is consistent with earlier studies in children's mathematics (Empson & Junk, 2004;Boaler, 2002;Lampert, 2001;Franke , Carpenter, Levi & Fennema, 2001;Vacc & Bright, 1999;Fennema et al, 1996). This growth in knowledge of children's mathematical thinking supported the participating teachers to develop more inclusive pedagogical approaches to mathematics teaching.…”

The mathematical tale of two teachers: A longitudinal study relating mathematics instructional practices to level of intellectual development

“…However, CGI researchers have shown that using a CGI framework during methods courses and practicum experiences can assist in bringing about these changes (Lubinski, Otto, Rich, & Jaberg, 1998;Steele, 2001;Vacc & Bright, 1999). The CGI framework provides teachers with information on how students learn.…”

Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration?

“…While previous researchers have documented the influence of teachers' pedagogical beliefs on classroom practices related to teaching mathematics (Vacc & Bright, 1999), science (Czerniak & Lumpe, 1996), history (Wilson & Wineburg, 1988), and literacy (Fang, 1996), few have examined how these beliefs influence teachers' adoption and use of technology. Zhao, Pugh, Sheldon, and Byers (2002) lamented that, despite a preponderance of survey studies examining factors influencing teachers' uses of technology, "these types of studies tend to neglect the messy process through which teachers struggle to negotiate a foreign and potentially disruptive innovation into their familiar environment" (p. 483).…”