Making Connections to Deepen New Teachers' Understanding of Elementary Mathematics

This study investigates how Ontario newly graduated teachers who have obtained certification but have not begun teaching, can make connections within their existing elementary mathematical knowledge. Typically, beginning teachers have a fragmented understanding of elementary mathematics; for example, they know how to use standard algorithms but not why they work. New teachers often lack prior experiences constructing connections between algorithms and less formal images, like pictures or diagrams, for themselves. Twenty-five years of research has shown that working with a students prior knowledge and connecting it with new material is the key to developing mathematics understanding. New teachers will need to support their future students in this recommended connection practice. However, asking teachers to support students in making mathematical connections seems like an unreasonable expectation when they have not had opportunities to connect their own understanding. In teacher education, researchers have uncovered what teachers do and dont know, but have yet to determine how to support teachers in making connections among their own fragmented mathematics ideas. Researchers are also saying that knowing mathematics is not enough; teachers also need extensive experience using strategies and methods that help students connect their prior mathematical knowledge with new ideas. This case study took place in a course with 15 certified newly graduated teachers. It extends educational research by investigating how teachers can deepen their mathematical understanding using tools and strategies similar to the ones they can/will use in their future teaching. Simultaneously, the study also offered newly graduated teachers extensive experience with recommended teaching strategies/methods for elementary students. Pirie-Kieren Theory and met-befores were used to frame the case study analysis of the video data and show how newly graduated teachers deepened their existing mathematical understanding by experiencing the methods similar to those recommended for elementary classrooms.