An assessment of middle grades preservice teachers' mathematics knowledge for teaching

Abstract

The overall purpose of this concurrent mixed methods study was to develop an online performance assessment using content questions taken from a reputable seventh and eighth grade standardized assessment that effectively evaluated and allowed preservice middle grades mathematics teachers to demonstrate their mathematics knowledge for teaching in the four main content strands of algebra, probability and statistics, geometry, and number and operations. In addition, this study examined differences in mathematics knowledge for teaching in enrollment characteristics, in courses taken and currently taking, and in three different cohorts, each at different stages in the program, of 122 preservice middle grades mathematics teachers at a large public university in central Texas. Constant comparative analysis and descriptive statistics revealed average scores on the seventh and eighth grade content questions. The middle grades preservice teachers’ content understanding and pedagogical understanding responses indicated several misunderstandings and misinterpretations in the middle grades mathematics they were tested on. Content knowledge, content understanding, and pedagogical understanding together made up a preservice teacher’s mathematics knowledge for teaching. The study revealed that although preservice middle grades teachers could answer a content question correctly; they did not necessarily understand the process they used to arrive at their answer. In addition, their lack of explanation and knowledge of how to complete the problem correctly was transferred to their pedagogical understanding of the same problem. There was a general indication of increasing mathematics knowledge for teaching for each content strand across enrollment characteristics (freshmen, sophomore, etc.) and cohorts. However, there was a noticeable decrease in average mathematics knowledge for teaching scores during middle grades preservice teachers’ junior year. Special integrated mathematics and pedagogy courses (MASC) and the middle grades methods course had the greatest affect on preservice teachers’ mathematics knowledge for teaching each content strand scores. Recommendations are also included in the study which may be used to help shape reform initiatives in teacher education programs throughout the United States.