Teaching your first mathematics class: Were you ready?

Abstract

Much of the debate surrounding the publication of the results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (1997) focused on the role of the teacher, and almost inevitably included discussion of the standards and issues of pre-service teacher education. The part teachers’ beliefs play in their development as competent, confident teachers of mathematics has been addressed by several commentators, and this, together with an emphasis on the importance of reflection in teaching has influenced the development of pre-service programmes. This study evaluates an optional course in mathematics education that aims to prepare teachers for the classroom by focusing on their beliefs. Twenty-five beginning teachers describe the extent to which completing the course influenced their initial teaching, the constraints they experienced in putting their philosophies into practice and their ideas about how the course and their pre-service education mathematics programme could be enhanced.