A longitudinal study of elementary pre-service teachers’ mathematics beliefs and content knowledge. School Science and Mathematics

This study investigated the mathematics beliefs of 103 elementary preservice teachers in a developmental teacher preparation program that included a two-course mathematics methods sequence. Pedagogical beliefs became more cognitively oriented during the two methods courses; these beliefs then remained stable during student teaching. Personal efficacy for teaching also significantly increased throughout the program. Background Our teacher preparation program recently changed due to a mandate from our university system requiring an increase in the number of mathematics courses for elementary preservice teachers. Prior to this change, our program included two elementary mathematics content courses and two mathematics teaching methods courses. Our program was revised to provide a mathematics endorsement for completing four mathematics content courses and one methods course. In an effort to document the impact of these changes on our elementary preservice teachers, we began a longitudinal research effort we call the Mathematics Education Research Project (MERP). This specific study reports longitudinal changes in beliefs of the preservice teachers during the pre-endorsement program and compares their beliefs at the end of th