From Past to Practice: Veteran Teachers Navigating Traditional and Reform-Oriented Mathematics Experiences, Beliefs, and Tensions

• In Event: More than Numbers: The Emotional Labor of Mathematics

Abstract

This qualitative study explored how six veteran elementary teachers in State X experience and interpret traditional and reform-oriented mathematics. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the study examined how teachers’ beliefs, self-efficacy, Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching, and personal histories influenced their engagement with both instructional approaches. The Cognitive-Affective Model of Conceptual Change was integrated into the conceptual framework to highlight both cognitive and affective dimensions of teacher change. Data were collected through reflections, semi-structured interviews, and journals. Findings revealed tensions between reform ideals and real-world classroom constraints, shaped by teachers’ prior schooling experiences and their evolving identities as mathematics educators. The study offers insight into how belief-driven, context-sensitive support, especially that which affirms teachers’ teaching identities, can foster more sustainable instructional transformation.

Author

• Kayla Sutcliffe, University of Florida