Secondary mathematics teacher education: Perspectives regarding tertiary mathematics

Project Member(s): Coupland, M., Kohlhoff, P.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads Inc
Australian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads Inc

Start year: 2022

Summary: Hypotheses: Undergraduate maths subjects are more conceptually difficult than secondary school mathematics. Pre service secondary mathematics teachers often struggle with their undergraduate maths subjects, sometimes leading to a surface approach to learning mathematics. Teachers do not feel that undergraduate mathematics is useful for their chosen career. Goals / aims / objectives: To ascertain teachers’ perspectives regarding the undergraduate mathematics, and how they feel that it contributes to their developing ability and identity as mathematics teaching professionals. To find ways to tie the undergraduate mathematics to secondary school mathematics, in order to construct teaching moments that allow students to discover these links. The analysis of these representations and reflections will be of interest to secondary mathematics teachers, teacher educators, education policy makers and university curriculum developers. The data will be owned by the university. A summary of the findings and the analysis developed, with all participants de- identified, will be available to universities and schools as valuable insight into curriculum development, teacher practice, and preservice teacher development.

FOR Codes: Teacher education and professional development of educators, Teacher and instructor development

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.