Ninety-seven education students majoring or minoring in mathematics had their math homework examined in a Number Theory or Abstract Algebra course. Each student's homework was observed for the purpose of identifying common errors and misconceptions when writing mathematical proofs. The results showed that students collectively made four…

This paper reports a study on retention of core concepts in differential and integral calculus by examining the knowledge of two pre-service mathematics students. The study is conducted using a mixed method approach and the obtained data were analyzed using theory of three worlds of mathematics. The results showed that having good understanding of…

Since the prevalence of data and statistics in the media and workplace has greatly increased over the past few decades, the teaching of statistics in K-12 grades has also increased. This necessitates that teachers be ready to teach statistical concepts throughout the grade levels. The recently adopted Common Core State Standards for Mathematics…

The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service teachers' awareness of creativity in mathematics and mainly their ability to transfer the pedagogical knowledge for mathematical creativity into their suggested lesson plan as an indication of practice. The sample of the study was a group of pre-service teachers who were attending a…

This study was situated in a semester-long classroom teaching experiment examining prospective teachers' understanding of number concepts and operations. The purpose of this paper is to describe the learning goals, tasks, and tools used to cultivate prospective teachers' understanding of addition and subtraction with whole numbers.…

A typical pathway to become a credentialed mathematics teacher in a high school constitutes primarily of three parts; a bachelor's degree, subject matter competency, and the requisite professional education--courses and directed teaching. These are often delivered in a disconnected fashion with little attention given to the context. As…

Teacher content knowledge has been repeatedly linked to student achievement. Alternative Mathematics Teacher Education Programs are popular and prevalent, but do they prepare teachers with the content knowledge needed to teach secondary mathematics? This study reports on a quantitative analysis comparing scores between traditionally and…

Capstone courses have been recommended as a way for pre-service secondary mathematics teachers (PSMT) to connect the mathematics they learn in university to the mathematics they will teach in high schools. However, not much is known about the nature of these courses in the U.S. Through a survey of departments of mathematics and education, the…

Three hundred-one pre-service teachers enrolled in elementary teacher education program were administered two surveys to measure mathematics anxiety and mathematical beliefs. Results of the study revealed that there were significant differences between third year and fourth year pre-service teachers regarding their mathematics anxiety and…

This article outlines a discussion had by a group of prospective teachers regarding questions that remained after their previous experiences as students. The discussion was focused on the rules associated with the division of decimals. Prospective teachers' initial discussion showed a strong tendency to handle the rules as taken-for-granted…

This article discusses pre-service elementary teachers' feedback regarding an implementation of a personal response system (clickers) in their mathematics course. A modified peer instruction model used clickers as a preliminary to class exploration of mathematical content. Classes of approximately 30 students included six lessons that were…

Sixty-two elementary pre-service teachers enrolled in a mathematics methods course were asked to "draw math" at the beginning and end of the semester. These drawings were used to examine the initial perceptions and how these changed by the end of the semester of methods and field experiences. Findings describe the various drawings and possible…

This paper discusses the results of a pilot study that explored how prospective secondary school teachers are shaped by learning experiences during their undergraduate mathematics education. The collaborative study, which was conducted by a mathematician and a mathematics educator, drew from the experiences of prospective teachers in a…

Ninety-five elementary pre-service teachers enrolled in a mathematics content course for elementary school teachers completed 3 surveys to measure mathematics teaching efficacy, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematical beliefs. The pre-service teachers who reported stronger beliefs in their capabilities to teach mathematics effectively were…

The current study investigated the effects of an undergraduate mathematics content course for pre-service elementary teachers. The participants' content knowledge was quantitatively measured using an instrument comprised of items from the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Measures (Hill, Schilling, & Ball, 2004). Using a one-group…