Preschool teachers’ math knowledge and beliefs from Kenya

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Building teacher’s content and pedagogical knowledge in early mathematics

Proposal

Many studies (Duncan et al., 2007; Geary et al., 2013; Nguyen et al., 2016; Author, 2022) show the importance of early math skills on not only later math development, but on later literacy achievement as well. However, concern across low- to high-income countries has been expressed that teachers may not have the training necessary to provide effective support for early mathematical development in the classroom and further that teacher educators may not have the experience or information necessary to prepare early childhood teachers to provide mathematically rich environments and instruction (Ginsburg et al., 2006).

This paper reports on a study in Kenya in which teachers were provided with two different types of support for early mathematics. Twenty teachers from each of two treatment groups completed the Mathematical Development Beliefs (MDBS) and the Knowledge of Mathematical Development (KMD) surveys (Author, 2014; Author, 2015). Treatment Group #1 (TG1) received training, observation and feedback from Sub-County ECD Coordinators, and used teaching and learning materials already available in the schools. Treatment Group #2 (TG2) received training, observation and feedback from Sub-County ECD Coordinators, but were also provided with instructional materials including learners’ books and teacher guides.

The KMD measures teachers’ knowledge of mathematical knowledge. The MDBS measures teachers’ beliefs around (a) the locus of the generation of mathematical knowledge in the classroom (teacher versus child; high = teacher focused), (b) age-appropriateness of mathematics instruction (low versus high; high = more age-appropriate), (c) socio-emotional development versus academic development (math) as a primary goal of preschool (high = math as a higher goal), and (d) confidence in ability to deliver mathematics instruction (high = high confidence). The study examined scores from the KMD and averages from the MDBS to answer the following research questions:

1. Did one of the interventions for TG1 or TG2 result in higher knowledge of children’s mathematical development as measured by the KMD?
2. Were there correlations between the KMD scores and locus of instruction, beliefs about the age appropriateness of mathematical instruction, primary goals of preschool, or confidence in instruction?

Findings
The table below shows the differences in scores and averages for TG1 and TG2. No differences were evident at p = .05 or less. This may be due to the small size of the groups (20 each).
MDBS and KMD TG1 TG2 p-value
Classroom Locus of Generation of Mathematical Knowledge(High = Teacher) 4.03 4.51 .069
Age-appropriateness of Mathematics Instruction (High = Age-appropriate) 5.49 5.17 .123
Socio-Emotional vs. Math Development as Preschool Goal (High = Mathematical Development) 5.42 5.17 .149
Confidence in Mathematics Instruction
(High = Very confident) 5.34 5.31 .884
KMD Score Total 9.00 6.83 .177

These findings suggest that the intervention that TG2 received may have marginally increased KMD scores, and created more confidence in instruction that was related to beliefs in the teacher as a locus of instruction, the age appropriateness of math instruction, and math as a suitable goal for the preschool classroom.

Authors

• Linda M. Platas, San Francisco State University

• Yasmin Sitabkhan, RTI International