Characterizing Elementary Preservice Teachers' Anticipated Student Solutions to Mathematical Problem-Solving Tasks

• In Event: 18.058 - MTCC Roundtable Session Four
  In Roundtable Session: 18.058-2 - Rethinking Math Quantitatively

Abstract

Authors characterized ways preservice teachers anticipated student solutions when planning to implement mathematical problem-solving tasks. Forty-eight elementary-middle or special-education preservice teachers in a mathematics methods course participated. After classroom discussion, preservice teachers were asked to select a cognitively challenging problem, provide at least two anticipated student approaches, identify potential student difficulties, and plan purposeful questions. Anticipated student responses were analyzed by researchers. Findings included that, when the associated common core mathematics standard included procedures, approximately 74% of preservice teachers used those procedures in their anticipated student solutions, with almost all of those solutions evidencing both procedural and conceptual knowledge. Researchers recommend incorporating discussion of procedures from the standards into methods courses to strengthen preservice teachers’ awareness of various solution paths.

Authors

• Glenda Susan Morrissey, Mercer University

• Ozgul Kartal, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

• Gorjana Popovic, Illinois Institute of Technology