About
FIRSTMATH – The First Five Years of Mathematics Teaching
What is FIRSTMATH?
FIRSTMATH is a study of novice teachers’ development of mathematical knowledge for teaching and the influence of previous preparation, school context and opportunities to learn-on-the-job, on that knowledge. FIRSTMATH will explore the connections between pre-service preparation and what is learned on the job as it concerns knowledge, skills and curricular content; and the degree to which standards, accountability and other similar mechanisms operate to regulate the support that beginning teachers of mathematics receive during their first years of teaching.
Research Questions:
- How do teachers with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 years on the job compare on their knowledge of mathematics content, mathematics pedagogy, pedagogy, mathematics-related beliefs and on their views on enacted mathematics teaching practice?
- What are the differences in knowledge, beliefs and enacted teaching practice between teachers with different types of pre-service preparation, other induction related preparation, or no formal teacher preparation across the cross-sectional samples surveyed?
- How are these differences—in knowledge, beliefs and enacted teaching practice—related to, schools’ socio-economic context, policies, organization, curriculum, and on-the-job opportunities to learn; and to larger system-level policy mandates across the cross-sectional samples surveyed?
Impact:
The results of this study will provide needed empirical evidence about the influence of school context and on-the-job opportunities to learn on mathematics teachers’ knowledge, and on the nature of the knowledge that is useful in and for mathematics teaching in diverse settings and school contexts. It speaks to contentious policy issues about the relative cost-effectiveness of induction vis-à-vis pre-service teacher education. Understanding these effects has potential economic impact for thousands of school districts or other agencies concerned with teacher recruitment and retention and with developing quality mentoring, induction, and professional development programs.
Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, March 3rd – 7th, 2013
Tuesday, March 5th: Conference Agenda and Book of Abstracts
TrendsMathEdConf_Prague_March 2013-Stav1_3
