Teacher Education Effects on Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching

• In Event: Measuring the Impact of Teacher Education on Learning to Teach Mathematics: The Teacher Education Study in Mathematics

Abstract

1. Objectives

In this presentation I share the results of our investigation of the links between future primary and secondary teachers’ mathematics teaching knowledge and a number of key features of pre-service teacher education programs using data from the Teacher Education Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M).

2. Perspective(s)

Globally teacher education is undergoing vigorous systemic education reform (Author, 2007) and while contextually different, pre-service programs share similar features including the goal of improving the mathematics preparation of future primary and secondary teachers. Teacher education is mediated by individual future teacher characteristics including background and prior attainment. Nevertheless according to Shulman (1987) teacher education is expected to have an effect on the knowledge base for teaching, including knowledge of the school curriculum (see Mullis et al., 2007). TEDS-M assessed these expectations using mathematics and mathematics pedagogy knowledge tests. At the program level we used the concept of opportunity to learn as a key determinant of learning (Floden, 2002; Husen, 1967; McDonnell, 1995). The TEDS-M conceptual framework considered opportunities to learn as mediated by individual characteristics, programs’ policies, and program coherence (see Author 1996, 1998, 1999b) to explain program effects on performance on the knowledge test.

3. Methods

After controlling for collinearity, I model (using regression analysis and HLM--a multilevel method using two-level hierarchical linear modeling see Raudenbush and Bryk, 2002; Raudenbush et al., 2004) the influence of individuals’ background and teacher education program characteristics (such as opportunities to learn, philosophy, selection policy, curricular policy, and program staff and resources) on future teachers’ performance on the TEDS-M tests of mathematics knowledge and mathematics pedagogy knowledge. The models are by country and explore the effects of the same variables across all countries.

4. Data sources

A total of 15,163 future primary teachers were surveyed in 451 institutions and 9,389 future secondary teachers were surveyed in 339 institutions in 16 countries participated in the TEDS-M study. I use the results of the individual country reports and the institutional and future teachers’ survey (primary and secondary) results as the source of data for the analysis.

5. Results

I found that the effects of teacher education varied across countries and, within countries, across programs. There are strong links between performance in our tests of mathematics teaching knowledge and varied opportunities to learn and other program policies. Individual characteristics of future teachers were strongly linked to higher scores in our tests.

6. Scientific significance of the study

TEDS-M shows that while teacher education shares common features in structure and content within and across countries, low levels of teacher knowledge were associated with uneven implementation at the program level. Findings reveal that lack of central control and performance standards may result in low teacher education effects. Future teachers have a right to expect that they will be well prepared to teach mathematics when they finish their teacher preparation. The TEDS-M study findings are timely as education policy makers are turning their attention to teacher education quality especially in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) areas.

Author

• Maria Teresa Tatto, Michigan State University