Preservice Teachers' Developing Understandings Related to Language in the Mathematics Classroom

• In Event: Math as Language

Abstract

Mathematics reforms are increasingly highlighting the important role that language plays in mathematics teaching and learning, however, there remains a common misconception that mathematics is somehow “language-free.” This qualitative study explored 67 elementary preservice teachers’ (PST) developing understandings of the role of language in the mathematics classroom based on conversations with their mentor teachers and observations of classroom lessons. Using iterative open-coding techniques (Marshall & Rossman, 2014), it was found that the Language Demands in the Mathematics Classroom tool helped focused PSTs’ attention on how language is used in mathematics teaching and learning. However, both the PSTs and mentor teachers focused primarily on vocabulary acquisition when discussing language in the mathematics classroom over strategies for facilitating more sophisticated student discourse.

Author

• Amanda T. Sugimoto, Portland State University