Subject knowledge, personal history and professional change

Emotion, identity and teacher learning: becoming a primary mathematics teacher

“…Ursula's negative experience of secondary school mathematics is commonplace amongst primary teachers (Bibby, 1999). One common belief they have is that a teacher's difficulties with mathematics enables her to better empathise with and understand children's difficulties (Goulding, 2007).…”

“…The role of Miss Barker's likely 'derogatory comment' is a significant feature of Ursula's shame. In her study of primary teachers, Bibby (1999) also highlights the frequent personalisation of mathematics failure with a secondary teacher. Ursula's resultant disconnection with mathematics is evident in the physical distancing: 'Walked out the classroom and didn't go back again'.…”

“…The problem is particularly acute amongst primary (or elementary) teachers (Bibby, 1999). For many primary teachers, their relationship with mathematics is fraught with anxiety and emotion, much of it relating to their negative experiences of school mathematics (Buxton, 1981).…”

Shame: An emotional response to doing mathematics as an adult and a teacher

“…Recently, there has been a growing body of research which demonstrates that the emotional lives of teachers are complex and impact on all aspect of their professional lives (Hargreaves & Tucker, 1991;Nias, 1996). If generalist primary teachers' subject knowledge is mediated by powerful feelings rooted in their autobiographies (Bibby, 1999) and 'common sense' product/absolutist understandings of mathematics, then this will impact on the ways in which that knowledge is used professionally in the classroom (Weissglass, 1994).…”

Guest Editor’s INTRODUCTION

“…These findings have important implications for those of us who work with children in the early years, and who need to take responsibility for supporting their mathematics learning. This is not always straightforward as some teachers of young children, reflecting back on their own experiences of learning mathematics at school, recall strong emotional responses such as feelings of shame, humiliation, alienation, and disengagement, which have had a damaging impact on their confidence, wellbeing, and identity (e.g., Bibby, 1999Bibby, , 2002.…”