Indonesian primary teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching geometry: implications for educational policy and teacher preparation programs

Abstract

This study examines Indonesian primary teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching geometry and what factors contribute to this knowledge. A translated and adapted version of the Learning Mathematics for Teaching measures and the Indonesian Educational Survey were used to gather information on teachers' knowledge for teaching geometry and their background information. Based on statistical analyses (ANOVA and multiple regression model) teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching differs by their educational attainment and grade range taught. Implications include capping the minimum education requirement to a four-year college degree and requiring teachers to teach several grade levels over a period of time.

South Korean Elementary Teachers’ Anxiety for Teaching Mathematics

“…A plausible reason for why teachers' anxiety for teaching mathematics would decrease as they attained higher academic degrees in mathematics education includes their development of knowledge for teaching mathematics. The teachers with higher academic degrees in mathematics education had better knowledge for teaching mathematics than those who do not [23,24]. This assumption that teachers' knowledge may affect the teachers' level of anxiety for teaching mathematics corresponds with Levine's (1996) results that insufficient knowledge of mathematics may increase elementary teachers' anxiety for teaching mathematics [7].…”

“…A probable explanation for this finding might be grounded in current research on elementary teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics. Ng (2010) found from a survey of 167 elementary teachers in Indonesia that there is a quadratic relationship between elementary teachers' knowledge for teaching geometry and their teaching experiences; Indonesian elementary teachers' knowledge for teaching geometry had increased according to their teaching experiences until 15 years of teaching, at which point it started to decrease [24]. Ng (2010) proposed that the lack of demand on Indonesian teachers to continue learning mathematics content throughout their careers and the limited opportunities for professional development might have caused the decline of teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics after 15 years of teaching experiences [24].…”

Summary, Conclusions, and Implications

“…It is not uncommon for elementary teachers in South Korea to teach a different grade each year; thus, presumably they become familiar with the mathematics content covered across grade levels, according to the National Mathematics Curriculum. While there are studies proposing that elementary teachers who have had experience with a wider range of grades have better knowledge for teaching mathematics than those who have taught only one or two elementary grades (e.g., Chinnappan and Lawson 2005;Ng 2011), it is still unclear how teaching experience contributes to teachers' knowledge for teaching. The study's findings demonstrate that teachers' teaching experience across different grade levels helped them understand the mathematics content covered in the curriculum that related to MCK.…”

Elementary Teachers’ Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics: A Review

“…Ng (2011) The attempt to measure international elementary teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics and compare the results to U.S. elementary teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics might be meaningful for international comparison of teacher quality in terms of elementary teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics. However, the question that still remains is how to develop measurement instruments that overcome cultural differences.…”

“…S. Countries. Four studies (Li & Huang, 2008, Ng, 2011Dalaney, Ball, Hill, Schiling & Zopf, 2008;Cai, 2005) presented in this section were conducted in other countries. Li and Huang (2008) used a paper and pencil test to detect if these teachers' knowledge for teaching mathematics related to their understanding of mathematics representations in the classroom.…”