Explorations of impacts of a teacher preparation program and diverse classroom contexts on elementary math teachers' knowledge and practice

This qualitative comparative case study examined the interactive influences of the university teacher preparation program and the cultural context of student diversity in the classroom on elementary mathematics teachers’ conceptual knowledge and practices of mathematics teaching. Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching framework, the procedural and conceptual mathematics teaching theory and situated learning theory guided the design, data collection and analysis of the study. Data sources included interviews, classroom observations, the Mathematics Teaching and Mathematics Self-Efficacy scale (MTMSE), the Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy scale (CRTSE), student testing data, and documents from the university teacher preparation program. These data were analyzed in two phases. Four case studies were developed based on the initial data analysis, and then a comparative analysis was done with the data from the four cases. Findings revealed that pre-service teachers should be prepared in content knowledge and conceptual-based teaching strategies through rigorous curriculum and multiple field experiences to sustain the program’s influence in a variety of school contexts.