Data Praxis : Teacher educators using data to inform and enhance pre-service teacher mathematics

This paper explores how data can shape and enhance mathematics learning and teaching in an initial teacher education Learning and Teaching Mathematics Course for First Bachelor of Education Students in a Regional University. The implementation of a 'data praxis' approach to research, required the development of a custom-designed suite of data gathering tools and approaches to inform our mathematics teaching and enhance pre-service teacher mathematical learning, underpinned the conduct of the study. Praxis required the teacher educators to constantly and systematically interact with the data sets and refine the pedagogical approaches to mathematics teaching and learning. The results of this research highlight the gains that students made and the challenges for teacher educators who choose a data based approach. [Author abstract