Investigating the Dimensionality of the Instrument Measuring Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Secondary Geometry

• In Event: 34.079 - Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: 34.079-10 - Innovative Research on Factor Analysis and Dimensionality

Abstract

This study examines the structure of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching secondary geometry using 593 high school teachers’ responses to test items. By applying both parametric and nonparametric item response models, we identify two dimensions explaining the variance among teachers’ performance on items. The two dimensions reflected by the item features within each dimension are characterized by the types of task of teaching and the instructional situation. One dimension is the mathematical knowledge involved in the task of formulating problems/examples in recurrent geometry instructional situations. The other dimension is characterized by the mathematical knowledge involved in either the task of determining the mathematical correctness of student work or to the situation uncommon in geometry classrooms.

Authors

• Inah Ko, University of Michigan

• Patricio G. Herbst, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor