Investigating Preservice Teachers' Perspectives of Disciplinary Literacy in Mathematics to Prompt Programmatic Change

• In Event: 75.061 - Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: 75.061-2 - Mathematics Teacher Education

Abstract

This proposal describes a qualitative grounded theory study to investigate pre-service teachers’ perspectives of disciplinary literacy in mathematics. The researchers sought to understand how pre-service teachers who had successfully completed a university mathematics education program viewed literacy as a part of mathematics to inform refinement of that program. Seven pre-service mathematics teachers served as participants in this study. Individual interviews and focus group interviews were conducted, along with member checks, and transcripts were analyzed using a constant comparative method to develop theory. Results suggested three primary constructs: (a) disconnect between participants’ understandings of literacy and mathematics; (b) positive perceptions of disciplinary approaches to mathematics instruction; and (c) perceptions of barriers to a disciplinary approach to mathematics.

Authors

• Jamie Colwell, Old Dominion University

• Mary Enderson, Old Dominion University