Elementary Preservice Math Teachers’ Evolving Dispositions Throughout a Math Methods Course: A Mixed Methods Study

<p>This study aimed to understand graduate-level Elementary Preservice Teachers’ (EPST) mathematical dispositions before, during, and after a graduate elementary math methods course taught through a rehumanizing (Gutiérrez, 2018), ambitious and equitable math (Horn & Garner, 2022) teaching framework. In this study, EPSTs’ dispositions included four constructs: math anxiety, math teaching anxiety, math self-efficacy, and math teacher self-efficacy. To fully understand the nuance and complexity of teacher education and EPSTs’ mathematical dispositions, I looked at both the EPSTs' and the instructors' perspectives. I investigated EPSTs’ dispositions through a modified multi-methods, sequential, and phenomenological lens. For the instructors’ perspectives, I conducted a qualitative self-study. EPSTs were part of one teacher preparation program in a medium-sized western private university. All 18 EPSTs were enrolled in one elementary math methods course co-taught by two instructors: the author of this dissertation and her advisor, Dr. Brette Garner.</p> <p>Results show that a four-credit ten-week elementary math methods course statistically significantly decreased EPSTs’ math anxiety, math teaching anxiety, and math teacher self-efficacy. The results for self-efficacy were more nuanced. 11 EPSTs’ self-efficacy results increased, but not at a statistically significant level. Additionally, the qualitative data enhanced the narratives of the positive evolutions of the EPSTs. Results of the self-study, support the claim that the course was taught through a rehumanizing, ambitious and equitable lens. Within this teaching lens, we created four math teacher educator design principles that can be applied and modified for other teacher educators’ courses. These course design principles had an overwhelmingly positive impact on EPSTs and will begin to break the cycle of dehumanization for students in elementary math classrooms.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year

2023

Author dc:creator

• Hood, Christine E.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Brette Garner
• Paul Michalec
• Lilian Chimuma
• Lisa Victoravich

• Ambitious and equitable
• Math anxiety
• Math self-efficacy
• Math teacher self-efficacy
• Math teaching anxiety
• Rehumanizing
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Education
• Elementary Education
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Science and Mathematics Education
• Teacher Education and Professional Development

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2219

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-3209