Pre-service teachers manifested mathematics pedagogical content knowledge: The role of the teaching practicum

Joseph Njiku

doi:10.29333/pr/15647

Full Text (PDF)

Joseph Njiku ¹ ^*

More Detail

¹ Department of Educational Psychology and Curriculum Studies, University of Dar es Salaam - Dar es Salaam University College of Education, Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) begins to develop during teacher education and the teaching practicum reinforces its development. This study is an interpretive inquiry into pre-service mathematics teachers’ practicum classrooms. The study explored four pre-service mathematics teachers’ PCK through observations and interviews. The pre-service teachers were found teaching various mathematics topics to students at different levels of secondary education. Findings indicate that pre-service teachers demonstrated some important elements of mathematics PCK. However, they tended to focus more on procedural rather than conceptual learning, lacked knowledge of some topic-specific teaching and learning resources, and made some flaws, possibly emanating from a lack of classroom experience. The study recommends teacher education to focus more on analysis of the mathematics curriculum and opportunities for practical teaching sessions including practicum and microteaching that are supported by experienced mentors in mathematics.

Keywords

mathematics
PCK
pre-service teachers
teacher education
teaching practicum

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

PEDAGOGICAL RES, Volume 10, Issue 1, January 2025, Article No: em0229

https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/15647

Publication date: 01 Jan 2025

Online publication date: 26 Nov 2024

Article Views: 89

Article Downloads: 71

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Aliustaoğlu, F., & Tuna, A. (2019). Examining the pedagogical content knowledge of prospective mathematics teachers on the subject of limits. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 52(6), 833-856. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2019.1703148
Anney, V. N., & Bulayi, M. (2020). Experienced mathematics teachers PCK in the use of learner-centred approaches in Tanzania’s secondary schools. Papers in Education and Development, 37(1), 94-122.
Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., & Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389-407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487108324554
Bologna, V., Longo, F., Peressi, M., & Sorzio, P. (2022). Monitoring PCK physics teachers’ strategies for math and physics languages integration: The teacher footprint. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2297, Article 012034. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2297/1/012034
Botha, H., Coetzee, C., & Zweers, L. (2023). Teaching measurement: The role of mathematics teachers’ enacted PCK on gain in learner outcomes. Infinity Journal, 12(2), 307-322. https://doi.org/10.22460/infinity.v12i2.p307-322
Carlson, J., Daehler, K. R., Alonzo, A. C., Barendsen, E., Berry, A., & Borowski, A. (2019). The refined consensus model of pedagogical content knowledge in science education. In A. Hume, R. Cooper, & A. Borowski (Eds.), Repositioning pedagogical content knowledge in teachers’ knowledge for teaching science (pp. 77-94). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5898-2_15
Copur-Gencturk, Y., & Li, J. (2023). Teaching matters: A longitudinal study of mathematics teachers’ knowledge growth. Teaching and Teacher Education, 121, Article 103949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103949
Correia, M., & Baptista, M. (2022). Supporting the development of pre-service primary teachers PCK and CK through a STEM program. Education Sciences, 12(4), Article 258. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12040258
Depaepe, F., Verschaffel, L., & Kelchtermans, G. (2013). Pedagogical content knowledge: A systematic review of the way in which the concept has pervaded mathematics educational research. Teaching and Teacher Education, 34, 12-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.03.001
Fukaya, T., & Uesaka, Y. (2023). Spontaneous use of PCK to teach mathematics among elementary school teachers: A comparison with junior and senior high school teachers. SN Social Sciences, 3(4), Article 94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00685-9
Hume, A., Cooper, R., & Borowski, A. (2019). Repositioning pedagogical content knowledge in teachers’ knowledge for teaching science. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5898-2
Jeschke, C., Kuhn, C., Lindmeier, A., Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, O., Saas, H., & Heinze, A. (2019). Performance assessment to investigate the domain specificity of instructional skills among pre-service and in-service teachers of mathematics and economics. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 538-550. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12277
Kadarisma, G., Senjayawati, E., & Amelia, R. (2019, October). Pedagogical content knowledge pre-service mathematics teacher. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1315, Article 012068. https://10.1088/1742-6596/1315/1/012068
Kılıç, H. (2011). Preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ knowledge of students. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, 2(2), 17-35.
Kyndt, E., Gijbels, D., Grosemans, I., & Donche, V. (2016). Teachers’ everyday professional development: Mapping informal learning activities, antecedents, and learning outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1111-1150. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315627864
Li, X. (2020). Investigating U.S. preschool teachers’ math teaching knowledge in counting and numbers. Early Education and Development, 32(4), 589-607. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1785226
Ma’rufi, M., & Ilyas, M. (2019). Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) among mathematics teachers on function materials through lesson study in junior high school. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 9(1), 135-156.
Mahende, G. A., & Mabula, N. (2014). Is teaching practice for grading or improvement? Examining student teachers’ perception and experience at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. African Educational Research Journal, 2(1), 1-11.
Makonye, J. P. (2020). Towards a culturally embedded financial mathematics PCK framework. Research in Mathematics Education, 22(2), 98-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2020.1752788
Maniraho, J. F., & Christiansen, I. M. (2015a). How Rwandan grade 6 mathematics teachers teach–A first investigation. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(32), 148-158.
Maniraho, J. F., & Christiansen, I. M. (2015b). Rwandan grade 6 mathematics teachers’ knowledge. Rwandan Journal of Education, 3(1), 66-76.
Martin, D. A., & Jamieson-Proctor, R. (2022). Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of problem-based learning for developing their mathematics teaching pedagogy. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.14434/ijpbl.v16i1.28739
Metscher, S. E., Tramantano, J. S., & Wong, K. M. (2021). Digital instructional practices to promote pedagogical content knowledge during COVID-19. Journal of Education for Teaching, 47(1), 121-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2020.1842135
Moh’d, S. S., Uwamahoro, J., Joachim, N., & Orodho, J. A. (2021). Assessing the Level of secondary mathematics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(6), Article em1970. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/10883
Njiku, J. (2018). Peer observation and reflective teaching: Student-teachers learning to teach mathematics from their own experiences. LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research, 15(3), 23-34. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/lwati/article/view/179543
Schwab, J. J. (1978). Science, curriculum, and liberal education: Selected essays. University of Chicago Press.
Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X015002004
Sujadi, I., Wulandari, A. N., & Kurniawati, I. (2019). Pre-service teachers’ perspectives: Pedagogical challenges of teaching mathematics on sea-teacher project. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1321, Article 032124. https://10.1088/1742-6596/1321/3/032124
Tanzania Institute of Education. (2005). Basic mathematics syllabus for ordinary secondary education. Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. https://www.tie.go.tz/uploads/files/MATHEMATICS%20SYLLABUS%20-%20O%20level%20final.pdf
Weber, B.-J., Breuer, J., & Lindmeier, A. (2023). How do school-related mathematical problems become relevant for prospective teachers in mathematics courses at university? A qualitative interview study. Research in Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2023.2243261
Wicaksono, B., & Dwipa, N. M. (2020). PCK (pedagogical content knowledge) profile of mathematics education students at Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1538, Article 012108. https://10.1088/1742-6596/1538/1/012108

How to cite this article

APA

Njiku, J. (2025). Pre-service teachers manifested mathematics pedagogical content knowledge: The role of the teaching practicum. Pedagogical Research, 10(1), em0229. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/15647

Vancouver

Njiku J. Pre-service teachers manifested mathematics pedagogical content knowledge: The role of the teaching practicum. PEDAGOGICAL RES. 2025;10(1):em0229. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/15647

AMA

Njiku J. Pre-service teachers manifested mathematics pedagogical content knowledge: The role of the teaching practicum. PEDAGOGICAL RES. 2025;10(1), em0229. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/15647

Chicago

Njiku, Joseph. "Pre-service teachers manifested mathematics pedagogical content knowledge: The role of the teaching practicum". Pedagogical Research 2025 10 no. 1 (2025): em0229. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/15647

Harvard

Njiku, J. (2025). Pre-service teachers manifested mathematics pedagogical content knowledge: The role of the teaching practicum. Pedagogical Research, 10(1), em0229. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/15647

MLA

Njiku, Joseph "Pre-service teachers manifested mathematics pedagogical content knowledge: The role of the teaching practicum". Pedagogical Research, vol. 10, no. 1, 2025, em0229. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/15647