Identifying Common Core State Standards for Math Challenges to Inform the Preparation of Preservice Teachers

• In Event: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and Mathematics Teacher Education Programs: Current and Future Directions

Abstract

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010) constitute a U.S. national intended curriculum in mathematics. Consequently, mathematics teacher educators need to help pre-service candidates understand key features of the CCSSM and challenges associated with implementing them. In order to identify implementation challenges, we administered a survey to 403 middle school mathematics teachers from states that have adopted the CCSSM.

Sampling and Analysis
The survey was administered to teachers nationwide during February 2013. A total of 403 teachers working in 43 of the 45 CCSSM-adopting states were surveyed. The data analyses involving Likert-type questions consisted solely of the enumeration of different categories and the calculation of percentages.

Results
Three themes emerged that are relevant to the preparation of pre-service teachers. First, there is a lack of clarity around the role and meaning of the Mathematical Practices. Second, there is a similar lack of clarity in terms of the purposes for which teachers supplement their textbooks. Third, current textbooks are not yet aligned to the CCSSM and, consequently, teachers supplemented the textbooks, often by turning to electronic sources.

Lack of Clarity around the Role and Meaning of the Mathematical Practices
Responses in the survey suggest that practicing teachers are not clear about the role of the Mathematical Practices in terms of helping students understand mathematics. The results show that while the respondents stated that the Mathematical Practices are more rigorous and a key innovation in the CCSSM, they were less clear about how the practices are used to develop understanding. For example, while 95.3% of teachers agreed that the practices are essential to learning, 74.4% of them agreed that students had to first understand content to successfully participate in the practices. Furthermore, 81.8% felt that drill and practice are essential to developing understanding. Although drill and practice are not exclusive to participation in mathematical practices, these responses raise doubts about how teachers might prioritize or incorporate the Mathematical Practices in their teaching.

Supplementing Textbooks
There was a similar lack of clarity with respect to supplementing of textbooks. The majority of respondents felt that supplementary materials used for remediation and practice were moderately or extensively aligned with the Mathematical Practices (71.5%). However, the respondents reported in greater percentages (87.5%) that the materials used to supplement for student inquiry were aligned with the Mathematical Practices.

Use of Digital Materials
The majority of teachers in our sample used digital materials frequently in a variety of different capacities. Respondents stated that either once or twice a week or almost every day, 67.3% reported using digital materials as teacher resources and 62.6% use digital materials for student worksheets. The least reported use of digital resources by respondents was for the supplementation of inquiry-oriented activities.

Implications
The results suggest that pre-service teachers could benefit from coursework or experiences that focus on:
•How to meaningfully incorporate the Mathematical Practices;
•How to identify and evaluate supplementary materials, particularly online materials, particularly to determine the degree to which they align with the Mathematical Practices.

Authors

• Jeffrey M. Choppin, University of Rochester

• Jon D. Davis, Western Michigan University

• Corey Drake, Michigan State University

• Amy M. Roth McDuffie, Washington State University - Tri-Cities