How Do Gains in Teachers’ Knowledge Relate to Changes in Instruction? A Three-Year Study of Mathematics Knowledge, Beliefs, and Teaching

• In Event: Large-Scale Studies in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This study uses HLM linear growth models to examine the effects of mathematics knowledge and beliefs of elementary school teachers on their instructional practices. Twenty-one teachers who enrolled in a master’s program were followed for three years to study how their mathematics knowledge as well as teaching changed over time. The results indicated that, compared to initial baseline data, teachers made statistically significant changes in their mathematical knowledge and instructional practices. Gains in teachers’ mathematics knowledge predicted changes in the quality of lesson design, mathematical press, and classroom climate. Teachers’ beliefs were related to the quality of lesson design and quality of tasks chosen. Additionally, teachers’ beliefs played a mediating role in the relationship between teachers’ knowledge and instructional practices.

Authors

• Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, University of Southern California

• Sarah Theule Lubienski, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign