Mathematical pedagogical content knowledge in Early Childhood Education: tales from the ‘great unknown’ in teacher education in Portugal

The study aims to explore the specificity of Mathematics pedagogical content knowledge in Early Childhood Education Pedagogy in Initial Teacher Education. It addresses the issue by characterizing student teachers’ perspectives and by analyzing student teachers’ knowledge mobilized in a situation of planning for teaching. The answers to a task developed by students in an Initial Teacher Education program are analyzed in terms of the mathematical knowledge and pedagogical options presented. The results contribute to the discussion in terms of (un)balance between teacher-initiated and child-led activities. The discussion deepens the importance to assert specific/particular ways of teaching in Early Childhood Education, contrasting with the more restricted view of only adult-led moments being teaching. Strong content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge are valued because of their relevance both at the level of adults’ knowledge needed to support children initiatives and plan curricular/didactic activities and at the level of the knowledge children interact within their daily environment and routine