Creating a Classroom Culture That Supports Productive Struggle: Preservice Teachers' Reflections on Teaching Mathematics

• In Event: The Challenges of Doing Math in Multiple Spaces

Abstract

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to examine pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) reflections on mathematics teaching and learning as it relates to the practice of supporting productive struggle. The research team created a framework aligning instructional features/teacher strategies that support productive struggle with related perspectives, organizing these by classroom culture/environment, treatment of content, and communication to support reasoning. The current analysis reports on PSTs perspectives related specifically to classroom culture/environment. Findings show the variant ways in which PSTs perspectives are both aligned and misaligned as well as considerations for leveraging these perspectives in mathematics teacher education.

Authors

• Keri Duncan Valentine, West Virginia University

• Johnna Bolyard, West Virginia University