A representational approach to developing primary ITT students' confidence in their mathematics

Bolden, D.S.; Barmby, P.W.; Harries, A.V.

Abstract

Representations of mathematical concepts play an important role in understanding: both in helping learners understand the to-be-learned material and in facilitating teachers’ understanding of pedagogical processes which, in turn, are involved in developing learners’ understanding. In this paper, we report on work with a cohort of pre-service primary teachers, with the aim of developing their understanding of mathematics, their confidence in their subject knowledge and their confidence in teaching mathematics. This was attempted through the introduction and use of a ‘representational approach’ to the teaching of the mathematical concepts required of teachers training to teach in primary schools in the UK. We present the results of attitude measures and a follow-up qualitative questionnaire in identifying whether and how the use of this representational approach supported pre-service teachers’ understanding and their confidence in teaching mathematics. The results suggest that the representational approach used had a positively significant impact on the attitudes towards studying and teaching mathematics.

Citation

Bolden, D., Barmby, P., & Harries, A. (2013). A representational approach to developing primary ITT students' confidence in their mathematics. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44(1), 70-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739x.2012.690899

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jul 10, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 15, 2012
• Journal: International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology
• Print ISSN: 0020-739X
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-5211
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 44
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 70-83
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739x.2012.690899
• Keywords: Representations, Subject knowledge, Primary, Pre-service teachers.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1498144