Identifying and Improving Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Knowledge Through a Mathematically and Clinically Rich Preparation Program

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Innovative Initiatives in Teacher Education

Abstract

Theorists and researchers broadly agree that elementary school teachers need a deep understanding of fundamental mathematics concepts in order to teach those concepts effectively. Despite this agreement, there is a disconnect between the content in the mathematics courses preservice teachers are required to take and the mathematics knowledge they need to teach. The authors show that this disconnect holds true for participants in the urban Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) being studied: there is no significant correlation between participants’ college mathematics GPAs and scores on the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching assessment. The authors then show that participants in the first and second cohorts of the project have not yet shown significant changes in their mathematical pedagogical content knowledge.

Authors

• Debra J. Coffey, Research for Better Schools

• Anne M. Marshall, Lehman College - CUNY