The purpose of this study is to examine prospective mathematics teachers'
knowledge development and beliefs changes for teaching fraction division through the
undergraduate mathematics method course to the field practice. Further, it reveals the
correlation between the knowledge development and beliefs changes. Therefore, this
study uses a qualitative methodology. I analyze the data from two time periods using
three steps. In the method course period, interviews concerning knowledge and beliefs
are triangulated with the tests, surveys, concept mapping and the writing assignment.
There are two steps in this time period. First, I focus on a total of 27 prospective
teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK), including common content knowledge
(CCK) and special content knowledge (SCK), and its development. Further, I examine
their beliefs changes towards fraction division and mathematics teaching and learning
during the method course. Next, I choose six participants from the total 27, based on
different mathematics achievement. I do this to identify 1) whether CCK differences
impact SCK development and 2) whether SCK development influence beliefs changes in the method course. In the field practice period, classroom observation of fraction division
is triangulated with the interviews. I follow up one prospective teacher in his field
practice and focus on the way his beliefs influence his teaching behavior and the
development of the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), through the teaching.
The results indicate that the prospective teachers developed both CCK and SCK
in their method course. Their beliefs towards to teaching and learning fraction division
progress from procedural-oriented to conceptual-oriented. The knowledge development
and beliefs changes derived from the different learning experiences from their past
school experiences and method course. Moreover, prospective teachers who had high
CCK developed his/her SCK significantly. Thus, his/her beliefs changes became more
significant. Further, the prospective teacher's beliefs changes in the method course
influenced the way of teaching behavior in the field practice and SCK impacts PCK in
teaching. On the other hand, field practice changed prospective teacher's beliefs and the
development of PCK. Therefore, further attention is called for in the prospective
teachers' knowledge transition and beliefs changes from a student to a future teacher.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2010-05-8037 |
| Date | 2010 May 1900 |
| Creators | Chen, Xi |
| Contributors | Li, Yeping, Kulm, Gerald |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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