An Analysis of the Questions Elementary Education Teacher Candidates Pose to Elicit Mathematical Thinking

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the findings of a study that examined the questions elementary education teacher candidates (TCs) posed while facilitating a number talk or a discussion about a word problem with elementary school students. The TCs in this study were undergraduates participating in a practice-based mathematics pedagogy/methods course designed to provide multiple experiences unpacking, planning, and rehearsing pedagogies focused on eliciting students’ mathematical thinking. Recordings of the TCs facilitating a discussion were analyzed using two different frameworks: question types from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles to Action and components of eliciting students’ thinking. Findings indicate varied levels of questions across participants, but showed that some TCs were able to pose question types aimed at effectively eliciting students’ mathematical thinking. Implications for future studies include further examination about how to increase TCs’ enactment of effective questions in classrooms after practice-based teacher education activities.

KEYWORDS:

• Eliciting mathematical thinking
• questioning
• practice-based teacher education
• teacher candidates

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Madelyn W. Colonnese

Madelyn W. Colonnese is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is interested in understanding and developing strategies to support teacher and teacher candidates with mathematical discourse.

Luke T. Reinke

Drew Polly is a professor in the Elementary Education program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His work focuses on supporting teachers' and teacher candidates' use of learner-centered pedagogies.

Luke Reinke is an assistant professor in the Elementary Education department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His work focuses on supporting teachers and teacher candidates with eliciting mathematical thinking.