Exploring Prospective Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge: A Focus on Functional Thinking

Autor/inn/en	Oliveira, Hélia; Polo-Blanco, Irene; Henriques, Ana
Titel	Exploring Prospective Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge: A Focus on Functional Thinking
Quelle	In: Journal on Mathematics Education, 12 (2021) 2, S.257-278 (22 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2087-8885
Schlagwörter	Preservice Teachers; Mathematics Teachers; Algebra; Mathematics Education; Elementary School Teachers; Teaching Methods; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Thinking Skills; Difficulty Level; Guidelines; Teacher Education Programs; Cross Cultural Studies; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Foreign Countries; Task Analysis; Generalization; Spain; Portugal + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mathematics; Teacher; Teachers; Mathematik; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Mathematische Bildung; Elementary school; Grundschule; Volksschule; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Pädagogische Kompetenz; Denkfähigkeit; Schwierigkeitsgrad; Richtlinien; Cultural comparison; Kulturvergleich; Teaching theory; Theory of teaching; Unterrichtstheorie; Ausland; Aufgabenanalyse; Spanien
Abstract	The importance of students being acquainted with algebraic ideas before secondary education has been revealed in the research literature. It is therefore essential that prospective elementary teachers (PTs) be prepared to instill an early algebra perspective in their teaching. However, PTs often show difficulties in algebra content knowledge, which need to be diagnosed aiming to assist them in developing the required knowledge to teach according to that perspective. This study aims to understand what aspects of functional thinking Spanish and Portuguese elementary PTs exhibit at the beginning of their teacher education program. The findings show that although PTs from both countries use different strategies to generalize functional relationships, the occurrence of successful strategies is low. Also, most participants provide local approaches in their interpretation of relationships between variables and reveal difficulties in understanding and connecting different representations of functions. These difficulties show that PTs lack important knowledge about functional thinking. By providing a framework concerning the functional thinking required for PTs to teach within an early algebra perspective, we shed light on a necessary step for teacher education programs to diagnose PTs' functional thinking and to assist them in developing the needed mathematical knowledge to teach accordingly. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Indonesian Mathematical Society. Jl. Padang Selasa 524, Palembang, South Sumatra 30139, Indonesia. Tel: +618-127-106777; Fax: +627-113-20310; Web site: https://ejournal.unsri.ac.id/index.php/jme
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01