A Tripartite Cooperation? The Challenges of School-University Collaboration in Mathematics Teacher Education in Norway

One goal of Norway’s new primary teacher education programme of 2010 was improved school placement: the relationship between the teacher education institution, practice schools and pre-service teachers was to be formalized as a tripartite cooperation. However, in the area of mathematics education, cooperation is not straightforward: tensions arise because of pre-service teachers’ prior experience and beliefs, and differences between university college training and school practice. This paper reports on questionnaire data and focus group interviews with first-year pre-service teachers and their mentors following school placement. It illustrates the complexity of the partners hip and its impact on pre-service teachers’ professional development in the area of mathematics.Norges forskningsråd 21226

Prospective teachers navigating intersecting communities of practice: early school placement

An issue of particular concern in mathematics teacher education is the relationship between theory and practice, and the nature of university–school partnerships. We report here on results from a research project answering the call for a more systematic understanding of the practice learning context. The study focuses on the new Norwegian elementary teacher education programme and highlights the difficulties involved in connecting theory and practice and how prospective teachers may be supported in this respect. Focus group interviews involving 51 first-year prospective teachers and 25 teacher–mentors investigated early school placements, specifically prospective teachers’ positions in the classroom as teachers of mathematics, and the ways in which the mentoring relationship supported their developing role. Taking a communities of practice perspective, we found that the idea of movement across intersecting and sometimes conflicting communities of practice is helpful in aiding our understanding of the difficulty of connecting theory and practice. Additionally, variations in mentoring styles and perceptions of prospective teachers’ mathematics and pedagogic knowledge competencies play a part in some prospective teachers’ difficulties in taking up a role as legitimate peripheral participant in the school. We conclude by considering ways in which prospective teachers might be better supported to cope with school placement

Visualization of fractions – a challenge for pre-service teachers?

International audienceMost pre-service teachers (PSTs) are familiar with the algorithm for addition of fractions. The work for teacher education is to help PSTs to "unpack" the algorithm in order to gain breadth and depth in their understanding. In this paper, we investigate which representations PSTs prefer to use when asked to visualize and explain addition of fractions on a national exam in Norway. We discuss in which ways they demonstrate why and how the standard algorithm works. Our analysis shows that the PSTs prefer to illustrate the sum of two fractions using the sub-construct part-whole in a rectangle shaped area model

Visualization of fractions – a challenge for pre-service teachers?

International audienceMost pre-service teachers (PSTs) are familiar with the algorithm for addition of fractions. The work for teacher education is to help PSTs to "unpack" the algorithm in order to gain breadth and depth in their understanding. In this paper, we investigate which representations PSTs prefer to use when asked to visualize and explain addition of fractions on a national exam in Norway. We discuss in which ways they demonstrate why and how the standard algorithm works. Our analysis shows that the PSTs prefer to illustrate the sum of two fractions using the sub-construct part-whole in a rectangle shaped area model

Retrospective reflections on ‘Missions’ as pedagogies of practice

International audienceMany preservice teachers (PSTs) experience a tension between theoretical input from university and from school placement. What to do about this theory-practice divide is an ongoing debate. In this paper, when investigating the potential of a type of assignment, ‘Missions’, to reduce this divide in mathematics teacher education, we give PSTs a voice in the matter. Their statements connect specific features of the assignments to theory on mathematics pedagogy and to professional practice. Two factors emerge as central to ‘Missions’ bridging theory and practice: PSTs’ lack of familiarity with mathematical investigations and the synergies between several pedagogies of practice – both prior to and during the work on the assignments

From emergency sirens to birdsong-Narratives of becoming a mathematics teacher

International audienceAs part of a larger research project, we asked third-year PSTs to reflect on what they had learned about being mathematics teachers of the teacher education programme. The reflections were intended as presentations for first-year PSTs. In this article, we analyse the films by the third-year PSTs to understand the messages more experienced PSTs choose to communicate to novices. Concepts from Gert Biesta are the framework for the content analysis, and we find a complex picture of how qualification, socialization and subjectification interact in the narratives

Theorising mathematics teaching: pre-service teachers’ perceptions before and during school placement

Pre-service teachers frequently experience a tension between their research-informed university college training and their in-school practice. In mathematics teaching, this is a particularly sharp contrast, since personal experience of traditional transmissionist school mathematics and dominant discourses about the importance of ‘right answers’ and ‘natural ability’ can resurface and be reinforced by schools which are driven by accountability and measurement within the context of international performance comparisons such as TIMSS and PISA. Consequently pre-service teachers often tend to focus on teaching instrumental skills, abandoning the holistic approach to mathematical literacy promoted by many teacher educators. This paper reports on data collected as part of a project focusing on this tension, drawing primarily on an analysis of first-year students’ theories about mathematics teaching on entry to a teacher education programme, and their reflections during their in-school practice six months later. Seen within the context of further data gathered from teacher mentors, our analysis indicates particular points of tension around translating theory into practic

A Tripartite Cooperation? The Challenges of School-University Collaboration in Mathematics Teacher Education in Norway

One goal of Norway’s new primary teacher education programme of 2010 was improved school placement: the relationship between the teacher education institution, practice schools and pre-service teachers was to be formalized as a tripartite cooperation. However, in the area of mathematics education, cooperation is not straightforward: tensions arise because of pre-service teachers’ prior experience and beliefs, and differences between university college training and school practice. This paper reports on questionnaire data and focus group interviews with first-year pre-service teachers and their mentors following school placement. It illustrates the complexity of the partners hip and its impact on pre-service teachers’ professional development in the area of mathematics

Prospective teachers navigating intersecting communities of practice: early school placement

An issue of particular concern in mathematics teacher education is the relationship between theory and practice, and the nature of university–school partnerships. We report here on results from a research project answering the call for a more systematic understanding of the practice learning context. The study focuses on the new Norwegian elementary teacher education programme and highlights the difficulties involved in connecting theory and practice and how prospective teachers may be supported in this respect. Focus group interviews involving 51 first-year prospective teachers and 25 teacher–mentors investigated early school placements, specifically prospective teachers’ positions in the classroom as teachers of mathematics, and the ways in which the mentoring relationship supported their developing role. Taking a communities of practice perspective, we found that the idea of movement across intersecting and sometimes conflicting communities of practice is helpful in aiding our understanding of the difficulty of connecting theory and practice. Additionally, variations in mentoring styles and perceptions of prospective teachers’ mathematics and pedagogic knowledge competencies play a part in some prospective teachers’ difficulties in taking up a role as legitimate peripheral participant in the school. We conclude by considering ways in which prospective teachers might be better supported to cope with school placement