Exploring Teacher Educator Discourse Moves in Elementary Mathematics Teacher Preparation: A Case Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Constructing Practice, Shaping Identity: Preservice Teacher Learning Across Disciplines and Dialogues

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines the discourse moves a teacher educator employed to facilitate an elementary mathematics methods course. Through analyzing a two-hour audio-recorded instructional session, we explored the teacher educator’s discursive strategies and pedagogical practices guiding preservice teachers through co-designing, reflecting on, and refining a lesson planned for K-1 students. Using framework-informed inductive analysis, we identified key themes: making pedagogical reasoning explicit through individual and collective reflection, transforming pedagogical uncertainties into collaborative learning opportunities, and integrating content and pedagogy. These findings reveal unique discourse practices in teacher education contexts and contribute to our understanding of how expert teacher educators scaffold content and pedagogical practices and prepare preservice teachers for the pedagogical uncertainties inherent in teaching.

Authors

• Hong Zhang, University of Florida

• Melissa M. Soto, University of Florida

• Zhihui Fang, University of Florida