The Evolution of Teachers’ Math-related Beliefs Research   (Poster 8)

• In Event: A Global Perspective of the Landscape of Research on Teachers’ Beliefs

Abstract

Teacher mathematics-related beliefs significantly influence instructional practices and student outcomes. Building on Pajares’s (1992) foundational work, recent research has provided nuanced insights into how teachers’ mathematics-related beliefs shape their actions, decision-making, and outcome evaluations. To describe these insights, we examined 156 articles published since 2014. Our review includes empirical studies conducted in 30 countries that employed qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, focusing on in-service and pre-service teachers.

Across the studies, we identified six categories of findings including: (a) belief-practice alignment; (b) beliefs about students’ mathematical competence; (b) beliefs and knowledge; (c) teacher efficacy beliefs; (d) sources of efficacy; (e) the relationship of efficacy beliefs to teacher outcomes, student outcomes, and professional development); and (f) belief change (Charalambous, 2015; Lee & Kim, 2016; Yang et al, 2020). Researchers have extended their prior investigations into the nature of math teachers’ beliefs and their alignment with instructional practices (Yang et al., 2020), emphasizing the necessity of engendering equity-oriented beliefs (Felton-Koestler, 2019) and supporting the actualization of these beliefs (Author, 2022). This suggests that fostering equity-oriented beliefs creates more opportunities to learn for students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.

Teachers’ beliefs about students’ mathematical competence vary widely, ranging from fixed to malleable views (Larina and Markina, 2020). Researchers also explored factors attributed to students’ success or struggle, highlighting that marginalized students frequently experience the adverse effects of teachers’ deficit-oriented beliefs about their academic capabilities (Jackson et al., 2017).

Beliefs as a psychological construct are intricately related to other psychological factors that influence teachers’ instruction and student outcomes. Research indicates a synergistic relationship between knowledge and beliefs on teachers’ practices and the influence of teachers' positive emotions about math, enjoyment of math, and feelings of preparedness on their efficacy (Dreher & Kuntze, 2015). Teachers’ math teaching efficacy can be significantly enhanced through participation in professional development, which subsequently leads to improvements in instructional quality, classroom management, and student achievement (Sorge et al., 2023). Moreover, research on beliefs concerning equity and inclusion underscores the critical role of teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and practices in the academic success of marginalized students (Milner, 2017). Thus, it is imperative to support teachers in cultivating productive beliefs and practices to address and close opportunity gaps for these students.

We identified several directions for future work. First, there is a significant gap in studies that address the influence of cultural and contextual factors on teachers’ beliefs. Specifically, research into how the socio-historical-cultural context that teachers experience prior to becoming teachers and while teaching shapes the development and enactment of mathematics-related beliefs is critically needed. Second, there is space for theorizing about how macro and micro-level contextual factors shape math-related beliefs and how these relationships evolve longitudinally. Third, studies exploring the relationship among different types of beliefs (e.g., beliefs about teaching and learning, epistemological beliefs, competency beliefs) and how these beliefs collectively influence other variables such as instructional practices and knowledge would be valuable to the design of mathematics teacher education and professional development.

Authors

• Dionne Cross Francis, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Anna Gustaveson, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Boran Yu, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Pavneet Kaur Bharaj, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill