Opportunities to learn mathematics pedagogy and learning to teach mathematics in Swedish mathematics teacher education: A survey of student experiences

Figures & data

Table 1. Distribution of respondents on programme specialisation.

Future grade level	R–3	4–6	7–12
No participants	35	26	24

Table 2. Frequency of responses to questions from part B concerning OTL about learner thinking. n = 55.

In your teacher education, to what extent have you had the opportunity to learn:	Great/ Sufficient	Little/None	Don’t know
… to interpret the mathematical reasoning of learners?	36	18	1
… to distinguish different types of mathematical reasoning and solutions?	35	19	1
… about learners’ common challenges in mathematics (e.g. ‘misconceptions’, threshold concepts)?	34	20	1
… about explanatory models or theories about learners’ mathematics learning?	34	18	3
… about how you can identify learners with difficulties in mathematics?	31	23	1
… about research results (not from textbooks or teacher magazines) in mathematics education which concern the thinking and learning of learners?	25	27	3
… specific theories about the development of learners’ mathematical proficiency and thinking?	24	30	1
… about how you can identify learners with an aptitude for mathematics?	22	33	0

Table 3. Frequencies of responses to questions from part A concerning OTL from practica. n = 85.

How often during your practicum periods did you work with the following in relation to mathematics instruction:	Often/ Some-times	Rarely/Never	Don’t know/Blank
Developing strategies for reflecting on your professional knowledge?	60	20	5
Practice methods and strategies you had learned about in the campus courses?	59	24	2
Applying theory, for instance, to reflect on the choice of teaching approach or to analyse learners’ answers?	58	24	3
Completing assignments or presenting how you used ideas from your campus courses during your practicum?	58	25	2
Collecting and analysing data about learners’ learning?	54	28	3
Observing teaching methods and strategies which you had learned about in your campus courses?	44	36	5
Actively adapt research results about common learner difficulties in learning mathematics?	35	47	3

Table 4. Mean score of responses to questions about opportunities to practise. n = 85.

During your teacher education, to what extent did you have the opportunity to:	Mean score
… in actual instruction, work with learners’ learning and thinking?	6.1 ± 2.97
… practise working with learners in a large group or the whole class?	5.9 ± 3.12
… in specific teaching situations, work with the learners’ development of the mathematical abilities?	5.5 ± 2.89
… try out different teaching methods in mathematics instruction?	5.3 ± 2.93
… try out inclusive approaches with different groups of learners?	4.3 ± 2.86