Abstract
In order to develop mathematical proficiency, students need access to a variety of representations to make sense of mathematical ideas. This case study documents the perceived influences on three novice elementary teachers' use of math manipulatives for teaching mathematics. Three sources of data were collected: video-recorded lessons, interviews, and a focus group. Analyses indicated that, although concrete representations were accessible to all three teachers, they were the least used among the available representations. While participating teachers shared similar pre-service experiences in relation to their coursework and internship, there were substantive differences between them in relation to how they viewed adopted standards documents, interacted with colleagues, perceived their students, and perceived district involvement. All three participants expressed concerns related to instructional time, and that district-led professional development was not helpful in supporting the use of concrete representations. The findings from this study indicate that current teaching contexts impact instructional practices more than pre-service experiences.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Elizabeth Lee
(2015)
"Influences of Prior Experiences and Current Teaching Contexts on New Teachers’ Use of Manipulatives for Math Instruction,"
Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina: Vol. 8:
No.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/tejsc/vol8/iss1/7