EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ MATHEMATICAL ORINTED BELIEFS AND THEIR PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES WITHIN THE REAL CLASSROOM

Abstract

Over the past few decades, there has been much research on teachers’ cognitive and affective variables such as beliefs, emotions, conceptions and knowledge as well as their relationship with teaching practice. This study has been conducted to explore the relationship between future teachers’ mathematical beliefs and their initial teaching practice in a classroom setting. A collective case study approach was used, in which future teachers were observed using a variety of procedures to reveal qualitative data about their initial teaching practice during the school-based practicum, and were then requested to complete six open-ended questions form concerning a mathematical beliefs. The preliminary analysis of data revealed that most of the participants hold constructivist-oriented mathematical beliefs. The initial observation and field notes demonstrated that most pre-service teachers who have had a constructivist-oriented belief teach utilizing contemporary approaches in mathematics teaching. However, some pre-service teachers held learner-based pedagogical belief, but did not integrate constructivist ideas into their teaching. The paper presented some implications for teacher education programs and teachers' professional development.