A Future Learning Perspective on Preservice Teachers' Preparation to Teach Mathematics in Bilingual Classrooms

• In Event: 25.029 - Learning to Teach Mathematics in Bilingual Classrooms: Considering Preservice Teachers' Past, Present, and Future Experiences

Abstract

Objective
Time and expertise limitations prevent mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) from focusing on teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students (CLDs) in methods courses. Consequently, it is unlikely for pre-service teachers (PSTs) to leave a preparation program fully prepared to teach mathematics to a range of CLDs. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore how MTEs can support PSTs learn to refine their mathematics teaching to CLDs in their future practice.

Theoretical framework
This study builds on Lave and Wenger’s (1991) situated learning perspective. According to situated learning, learners move gradually from peripheral (taking on limited responsibilities with the support of others) to full participation (taking on more responsibilities in an independent way) in a community of practice. For the purposes of this study, I consider PSTs as learners and teaching mathematics to CLDs as practice. This perspective acknowledges the impossibility of PSTs to master a range of skills to teach in diverse contexts during the teacher preparation program. Instead, teachers continuously refine their teaching from teacher preparation and throughout their career.

Methods
This study analyzes a unit on teaching CLDs that was part of an elementary mathematics teaching methods course. The goal was for PSTs to frame their future learning of how to teach mathematics to CLDs based on Hiebert, Morris, Berk, and Jansen’s (2007) three principles of future learning: Autonomous exploration, cooperation, and focus on students’ mathematics understandings. PSTs considered what they knew and worked collaboratively to figure out what they needed to learn. At the end of the unit, PSTs adapted mathematics lesson plans. I conducted thematic analysis to identify emerging themes from two data sources: lesson plans, and PSTs’ written reflections at the beginning and end of the unit.

Results
Lesson plan analysis suggests that PSTs drew on their understandings about mathematics teaching to adapt their lesson plans. For example, all PSTs described how to use specific mathematical representations to support meaning making. PSTs also described how they would attend to resources in their teaching context to further specify the plans, for example, identifying cognates to word story problems. Written reflections analysis suggests that PSTs went from describing themselves as passive receivers of strategies to taking ownership about how to refine their teaching CLDs based on contextualized practice.

Significance
This study suggests that what many PSTs and researchers have documented as unpreparedness to teach mathematics to CLDs might be the evolving participation in a community of practice. Instead of expecting PSTs to be fully prepared to teach mathematics to CLDs, it might be more productive to approach this issue from a future learning perspective. A future learning perspective can help PSTs develop an understanding of what they know, and how to develop a plan to continue to learn. This plan benefits from a recognition that many elements of learning to teach will take place as in-service teachers in particular contexts, and from attention to mathematics-specific resources. This perspective fosters productive views of PSTs, and of what is possible during teacher preparation.

Author

• José Manuel Martínez, Michigan State University