The arithmetic Knowledge of prospective teacher : strengths and weaknesses
The media has recently alerted public opinion to a situation which research into mathematical education has been highlighting for the last two decades: the poor quality of primary teachers’ mathematical training. This failing of prospective primary teachers (PPTs), which has been noted at an informa...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2015 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Huelva (UHU) |
| Repositorio: | Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/9658 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10272/9658 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | MTSK Prospective Primary Teachers Initial Training Professional Knowledge Arithmetic Estudiantes para Maestro Formación inicial Conocimiento profesional Aritmética |
| Sumario: | The media has recently alerted public opinion to a situation which research into mathematical education has been highlighting for the last two decades: the poor quality of primary teachers’ mathematical training. This failing of prospective primary teachers (PPTs), which has been noted at an informal level in our universities for some time, is the focus of this study. Against this background, the paper describes an exploratory study using a survey about the mathematical knowledge required for teaching with 737 trainee primary teachers at three Andalusian university training centres, carried out under the auspices of a Teaching Innovation Project at one of them. Using the framework of the Mathematics Teachers’ Specialised Knowledge (MTSK), and specifically, the sub-domain concerning knowledge of mathematics topics, a questionnaire was developed which contained items relating to fractions, decimals and percentages, chosen as much for their inherent importance as for their application to other mathematical contents and other disciplines within the scope of primary education. By this means we were able to explore the prospective teachers’ knowledge of these contents. The results highlighted a significant number of weaknesses, some already described in the literature, and some strengths. In both cases, the findings represent baseline data which can be compared with the situation in other primary training centres. We hope they also provide food for thought for the educational authorities in regard to university entrance selection procedures. More specifically, the study should be a starting point for training centres to redesign their programmes. |
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