Investigating the role of the written curriculum on lesson planning for first-year elementary mathematics teachers

While studies have previously explored aspects of lesson planning from the perspective of experienced teachers, there is a lack of research investigating how this process is different for brand new educators. The researcher, a preservice elementary teacher studying at the University of Northern Iowa, wanted to learn more about the available resources and how she would utilize them when planning for mathematics instruction in her first elementary classroom. At the completion of this project, the researcher hoped to have a better understanding of the process first-year elementary teachers experience when transforming written textbook materials into a mathematics lesson plan. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the written curriculum, pacing guide, and timing in influencing the way a first-year elementary teacher creates lesson plans. In particular, the work expected to shed light on the textbook features that teachers use to create their lesson plans, as well as how time restricts the lesson planning process (from the moment new teachers have access to their written curriculum materials to the planning of lessons to be taught in the classroom). It is hoped that the insights found through this research will help preservice elementary teachers better understand the process first-year educators experience when creating their mathematics lesson plans from the written materials