Technology-enhanced mathematics tasks were introduced to elementary pre-service candidates (n = 84) and in-service teachers (n = 38), who then, either in partners or small groups, created and taught inquiry-based lessons incorporating technology, with individual reflections. The lessons were coded using the following criteria: (a) The students…

This study documents and describes efforts to develop robust forms of pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge through a culturally responsive mathematics teaching approach. Embedded in a university K-8 mathematics methods course emphasising the connections among mathematics, children's mathematical thinking, and children's…

Using the structure of a metacognitive journal, this article describes the author's discovery of an unusual method for adding fractions after carefully considering a student's response. (Contains 3 figures.)

In this article we consider how elementary education students' views of mathematics changed during their mathematics methods course. We focus on four female students: two started the course with mainly positive views of mathematics and a task orientation, two with negative views of the subject and an ego-defensive orientation. The biggest change…

Preparing preservice teachers to use technology appropriately in mathematics instruction is an important objective of mathematics teacher preparation programs. At Utah State University, this objective is addressed in a combined capstone mathematics and technology course. In this course, preservice teachers learn technology skills as they…

Prospective teachers enter methods courses and classroom field experiences with robust mental pictures and strongly held beliefs about teaching elementary school mathematics, which impact their professional growth. Teachers filter information about new ways of teaching (from methods courses and field experiences) through their previous knowledge…

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop an instrument that can measure teacher beliefs about mathematical discourse as a continuum by exploring and describing qualitatively distinct levels of teacher beliefs, namely, Univocal, Partial Univocal, Emerging Dialogical, and Dialogical. Prior research indicates the importance of understanding…

Developing deep knowledge and understanding of mathematics is a lifelong process, and building the foundation for teachers' development must begin in preservice preparation and continue throughout one's professional life. While teaching mathematics content courses and methods courses, the authors have found that preservice elementary school…

This paper describes the genesis and purpose of our geometry methods course, focusing on a geometry-teaching technology we created using NVIDIA[R] Chameleon demonstration. This article presents examples from a sequence of lessons centered about a 3D computer graphics demonstration of the chameleon and its geometry. In addition, we present data…

All instructors would all like to be a "Dream Come True" but unfortunately many come across to their students as a "nightmare". The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics in effective and successful online and/or face-to-face instructors. Characteristics as perceived by pre-service teachers in each setting…

This study was designed to examine benefits and challenges of teaching through videoconferencing in the context of students' field placement experiences, particularly as it relates to an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning math and science. In the context of mathematics and science methods courses, preservice teachers, with the…

Methods courses in teacher education programs often stress the importance of planning and preparation. However, there is no real substitute for experience and ongoing professional development; learning for a mathematics teacher is a continuous endeavor. While university coursework is helpful, the preparation for planning discussed in this…

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between mathematics anxiety and the procedural and conceptual knowledge of fractions in prospective teachers. Thirty-two preservice teachers enrolled in an elementary mathematics methods course were administered the Revised Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (RMARS, Baloglu, 2002).…

The expectations for no child to be left behind are leading to increased emphasis on teaching math, science, and social science effectively to students with disabilities. This study utilized information collected from online surveys to examine how current LBS I teachers and individuals graduating from the Illinois State University teacher…

This report describes reflections from two cycles of developmental research that involved creating and refining a series of computer-based applets for reasoning about the relative magnitude of fractional quantities. The applet sequence stemmed from a cognitively demanding task used in face-to-face teacher education settings that involved placing…