https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1238-2769
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Abstract
Higher education institutions are responsible for delivering university-level mathematical knowledge to prospective mathematics teachers in a manner relevant to their future professional practice for teaching a core competency of 4C skills. The ability to teach these skills in the mathematics classroom is demanded by educational reform in the 21st century. However, creating learning experiences that allow them to acquire 4C skills is becoming increasingly difficult. Thus, the study was interested in discovering challenges faced by teacher education institutions in equipping prospective mathematics teachers with 4C skills-based instruction by considering similar challenges experienced by school teachers in the classroom. The study used semi-structured interviews to gather data from 10 teacher educators seeking university perspectives and 10 in-service teachers for school perspectives. A constant comparative analysis of gathered data yielded five themes, discovering critical challenges experienced by participants in integrating 4C skills. The study highlights that prospective mathematics teachers did not receive proper training in teaching 4C skills because educators had limited knowledge, facilities and support. This study suggests universities employ a dynamic new learning system to equip incoming mathematics teacher graduates with the essential resources such as a School-University Partnership mediated Lesson Study (SUPER-LS) program as an approach to overcome the challenges. This novel TPD program supports the professional development of pre-service teachers at university and in-service teachers at school in two ways, including emphasising PD activities on mathematics transposition promoting student learning 4C skills and facilitating them through the collaborative learning communities of lesson study groups.
Public Interest Statement
School teachers in the 21st century are required to integrate core competencies such as critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity, communication, and collaboration, called 4C skills, in daily mathematics classrooms. However, they must be provided with comprehensive and sufficient training in 4C skills-based instruction before and after their service. Teacher education institutions have faced criticism for their perceived shortcomings in adequately preparing prospective teachers with the essential knowledge and abilities pertinent to their profession, particularly concerning the instruction of 4C skills, considered essential globally. As integrating 4C skills in mathematics instruction is a complex task, our research was intriguing in discovering the challenges teacher education institutions face in helping prospective mathematics teachers, who are future teachers, understand 21st-century teaching and learning, 4C skills, and how to teach them daily. Recognizing school teachers’ challenges in facilitating the development of 4C skills among students is also crucial as input to the university in providing relevant learning experiences for future teachers. Prospective mathematics teachers did not get appropriate training on 4C skills instruction due to barriers, including lack of ability and motivation, lack of their educators’ competency and belief, lack of supporting program and facility, and poor regulation. Lesson study in the school-university partnership (SUPER) platform could help both groups address these challenges.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
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Notes on contributors
Fitriati Fitriati
Fitriati Fitriati is a doctoral student in the mathematics education program of University Kebangsaan Malaysia. She is also a teacher educator in the teacher profession education (TPE) program of Universitas Bina Bangsa Getsempena, Indonesia. Her research interests include mathematics education, teacher professional development, rich mathematical tasks, teaching and learning of 21st century skills, lesson study within school-university partnerships, educational assessment, and teacher training. She is also a member of the Indonesia Association of Lesson Study and the World Association of Lessson Study (WALS).
Roslinda Rosli
Roslinda Rosli is an Associate Professor at the Research Centre of STEM Enculturation, Faculty of Education, the National University of Malaysia (UKM). Her areas of expertise include problem-solving, problem-solving, teacher knowledge, and STEM. Dr. Rosli is also active in grant research projects and writes and publishes papers, journal articles, books, and book chapters locally and internationally.
Zanaton Iksan
Zanaton Iksan is a lecturer at the University of Kebangsaan Malaysia and a researcher from the Centre of STEM Enculturation. Her research interests are science education, STEM education, and lesson study. She is working with school teachers to promote lesson study in Malaysia.
Arif Hidayat
Arif Hidayat is a lecturer at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, working extensively with school teachers for Teacher Professional Learning Activities through Learning and Lesson Study, Science through Inquiry, TPACK, Teaching and Learning Analytics, STEM learning leadership, and Large-Scale Assessment.