Teacher Candidates' Discourses of Equity for the Teaching and Learning of Elementary Mathematics

• In Event: 58.044 - Equitable Instruction Across Content Areas

Abstract

A phenomenological understanding of teacher candidates’ perceptions as they experience becoming equity-minded in a mathematics methods course holds great potential to provide new insights into integrating equity into the teaching of elementary mathematics from an authentic, learner-centered perspective. This study seeks to help teacher educators understand more deeply how teacher candidates may experience cultivating an equity mindset for the teaching of elementary mathematics. Cultivating an equity-mindset produced a variety of discourses by teacher candidates as they engaged in making sense of the term equity as it applies to teaching elementary mathematics. These discourses might be seen as having “magical properties” in that they have the ability to make the invisible visible and produce understanding, meaning and truth for teacher candidates.

Author

• Karen Colum, Minnesota State University - Mankato