Change and Relationships in Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Pedagogical Beliefs, Teaching Efficacy Beliefs, and Content Knowledge

Authors

Susan L. Swars, Georgia State UniversityFollow
Lynn C. Hart , ed., Georgia State UniversityFollow
Stephanie Z. Smith, Georgia State UniversityFollow
Marvin E. Smith, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2007

Abstract

This study investigated the mathematics beliefs and content knowledge of 103 elementary preservice teachers in a developmental teacher preparation program that included a two course mathematics methods sequence. Preservice teachers’ pedagogical beliefs became more cognitively-oriented during the teacher preparation program with these changes occurring during the two methods courses. Pedagogical beliefs remained stable during student teaching. The preservice teachers also significantly increased their personal efficacy for teaching mathematics throughout the program with these shifts occurring across both methods courses and into student teaching. Pedagogical beliefs and teaching efficacy beliefs were not related at the beginning of the program, but, in general, were positively related throughout the program. In addition, the preservice teachers’ pedagogical beliefs were positively related to their specialized content knowledge for teaching mathematics at the end of the program.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Swars, Susan L.; Hart, Lynn C. , ed.; Smith, Stephanie Z.; and Smith, Marvin E. (2007) "Change and Relationships in Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Pedagogical Beliefs, Teaching Efficacy Beliefs, and Content Knowledge," Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 6.
DOI: 10.20429/gamte.2007.010106
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gamte-proceedings/vol1/iss1/6