scholarly journals Exploring the influence of pre-service mathematics teachers’ professed beliefs on their practices in the Sri Lankan context

Author(s):  
Gayanthi Malika Wadanambi ◽  
Frederick K. S. Leung

Research on impact of teacher beliefs on their practices has been recognized as one of the important aspects in the discipline of mathematics education. This study reports the results of a case study that gives an insight about the influence of professed beliefs of pre-service secondary mathematics teachers on their instructional practices in the Sri Lankan context. The pre-service teachers’ professed beliefs were examined by using a questionnaire of six-point Likert scale items. Data on instructional practices were collected through classroom teaching observations and follow-up post-lesson interviews. Qualitative analysis of the audio-taped classroom teaching observation transcripts was performed, using a list of sensitizing concepts that reflected flexible and rigid beliefs aspects. The results reveal that professed beliefs encouraged them to adopt flexible practices, but to differing extents due to the influence of social expectations and contextual demands embedded within this educational context

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Milewski ◽  
Sharon Strickland

In this article we examine an analytical framework generated by secondary mathematics teachers for tracking changes to their own instructional practices across time. We describe the journey of this group of teachers through professional development focused on improving instructional practice. In the midst of that experience, teachers struggled to find an analytical tool to examine one another's practices of responding to students' mathematical ideas and ultimately overcame this problem by considering the practitioner literature and their own experiences. We also describe how we adapted the framework to investigate its use for detecting shifts in teachers' practices, sharing findings obtained from its use. Lastly, we argue for this type of collaborative work with teachers as a means to develop common language for instructional practice.


2008 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 186-191
Author(s):  
Mary T. McMahon ◽  
Ellen Hines

The value of collaboration and reflection with peers to improving instructional practices is well known (e.g., Lieberman 1992; Little 1982; Little and McLaughlin 1993; Romberg 1988). However, practicing mathematics teachers are often challenged to find time in their busy schedules to collaborate with peers. Recently, during the implementation of a lesson study experience with a small group of preservice secondary mathematics teachers, we observed firsthand how lesson study could be used to encourage collaborative reflection among preservice teaching peers and how it potentially could be used to support ongoing professional development of in-service teachers while respecting their time constraints.


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