Profiles of Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Beliefs: A Person-Centered Analysis of Anxiety and Instructional Orientation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Beliefs, Practices, and Identities: Reframing Mathematics Teaching Through a Human-Centered Lens

Abstract

This study examined preservice teachers’ mathematics anxiety, instructional beliefs, and self-efficacy using person-centered profile analysis. Ninety-eight participants completed adapted versions of the MARS-R, and the TBS. Gaussian mixture modeling identified three latent anxiety profiles, and k-means clustering revealed three belief profiles: Reform-Oriented, Ambivalent Constructivists, and Low Commitment. Item-level differences in belief endorsement emerged across anxiety profiles, with more anxious participants showing greater agreement with traditional views. Instructional beliefs significantly predicted self-efficacy, but anxiety did not moderate this relationship. These findings demonstrate the utility of person-centered methods in teacher education and highlight implications for tailored preparation of future mathematics teachers.

Author

• Jessie Store, Saginaw Valley State University