Secondary Curriculum 2B- Mathematics

Assignment 2

Fatemeh- Tajkey
Student number 19198558
Statement: “How important is pre-service teachers' mathematical content knowledge?”

This examination plans to research on Mathematical Content Knowledge of pre-service

teachers and how impacts the learning and teaching progress in order to meet the needs of
contemporary education standards. The definition and meaning of the knowledge that is required
for teaching mathematics had been focussed in the recent discussions of the education society of
mathematics. Shulman was among the ones who initiated this discussion by giving an idea of
content knowledge that is pedagogical that included the intersection of pedagogy and content-
specific knowledge for a subject (O'Keeffe, 2016).
Ball, Shilling and Hill created a framework that can distinguish between the various types
of knowledge including in Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (Alsaleh & Anthony, 2018).
The framework provides a distinction between pedagogical content knowledge and knowledge of
the subject matter. The knowledge of subject matter includes the actual mathematical knowledge
along with the knowledge of resources and materials used in the teaching of mathematics. The
authors have identified the mathematical knowledge as a content knowledge that is common and
content knowledge that is specialised. (Jacob, Hill & Corey, 2017). According to Garet et al.
(2016), knowledge content that is common is acquired by an adult able to use a way to give a
solution for a mathematical problem while knowledge content that is specialised is a type of
mathematical knowledge unique only to teaching. They also compared the two types of knowledge
content and believed that an effective high school teacher needs to have more mathematical
knowledge than an average adult possesses. However, the differences between these types of
knowledge often tend to be blurry (Hine, 2015).
Content of specialized knowledge has been described as mathematical knowledge allowing
teaching to involve in certain tasks of teaching that includes an accurate representation of
mathematical ideas, proving the mathematical explanations about common procedures and rules
and understand problems or solution methods. Recently, many influential organisations like the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics called to focus on the conceptual understanding that
will help the students to become proficient learners (Eden, 2018). Therefore, in 21th teaching,
successful teachers’ goal is to ensure that all learners of mathematics are able to apply the proper
procedures as well as explain and understand the working of those procedures. Professional
teachers with conceptual understanding of the content are able to create innovative activities and
assessment tasks that leads students to understand the lesson in deep level and be able to apply it
in different situations. (Plotz, Froneman & Nieuwoudt, 2013). In contrast, mathematics teachers
with limited mathematics knowledge or lack of relevant content knowledge are more likely derives
the lesson through textbook and students working on repetitive questions and answers may be
generated without understanding. (Goos, Geiger & Dole, 2010). Through this approach, students
may have an intuitive feel for mathematics but not able to apply their knowledge to new situations.
For example, the student factorised 𝑥 2 - 1 = (𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 1) but not able to do for a similar
expression in a trigonometric context like 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝑥 − 1

Furthermore, Ma has described knowledge of mathematical content of teachers as a

thorough understanding about mathematics regarding depth, breadth, thoroughness and
connectedness that refers to knowledge as PUFM that is, Profound Understanding of Fundamental
Mathematics. Livy, Herbert & Vale (2018) describe successful and capable teachers as the ones
who have broad and deep knowledge in the subject along with the knowledge of multiple methods
of teaching. These proficient teachers are well aware of the curriculum and know how to constantly
monitor the progress of students’ learning with the help of conceptual understanding. (Ediger,
2012). They have the knowledge about how the mathematical ideas they are teaching have a
connection with the mathematics curriculum that the students would study in the future
(Cartwright, 2018). They know how to prompt the understanding of mathematical proofs for
students, as well as to know they should assist the students’ learning or when they should all the
students to work on their own to solve the problem.

In addition, Hine (2015) stated that the content knowledge of mathematics teachers is
related to the achievement of the students and to the fact that this knowledge is contextually suited
and multi-dimensional. Teachers with strong and extensive content knowledge provide better
classroom instruction and explanations that can affect students’ outcomes. They are capable to
response to the questions raised by students and select the clear explanation or appropriate
examples to address any confusing point (Plotz, Froneman & Nieuwoudt, 2013). Moreover, the
dynamic of the mathematical classroom has been changed and students want to know why they
need to learn this specific content and where they can apply it to be fully engaged and to achieve
their best potential (Jacob, Hill & Corey, 2017). In last decades, mathematics was about learning
procedures and memorizing formula but nowadays is more about communication, thinking and
reasoning. These aspects of teaching mathematics have been introduced in NSW syllabus content
and it is essential for mathematics teacher to address them effectively. For example, the old style
of calculus questions was about finding the gradient of the tangent to the curve, at the point that
given but the new style questions are more emphasis on understanding the concepts involved in
calculus and less emphasis on procedures (Ley, 2019). For instance, students doing experiments
on motion and recording the data and then drawing graphs on the motion. Also, terminology and
providing link to real-life applications (relationship between gradient of graph and speed / velocity)
has introduced in new style of teaching calculus. Through these changes the HSC questions have
been changed and teachers with greater MCK are more aware of these changes and more proficient
and capable to boost students ‘outcomes.
As a follow up to the international interest the assessment of the content knowledge on
mathematics for the qualified teachers, assessing the content knowledge on the mathematics of the
pre-service teachers has also been introduced as a focal aspect for enquiries. The pre-service high
school teachers should have foundation content knowledge at the beginning of their initial
programs of teacher education and then they will develop their knowledge and become more expert
into areas during practicum experiences, pedagogical courses and beyond (Depaepe et al. 2015).
“Demonstrating the knowledge and understanding of the concepts” is part of the Australian
Professional Standard for Teachers and these are requirements of the Australian Institution for
Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL,2019). Exploring preservice teachers’ Mathematical
content knowledge is an important aspect to design effective opportunities for them to develop
their knowledge (Butterfield, Forrester, Callum, & Chinnappan, 2013). There is a complex issue
for mathematics teacher educators to demonstrate appropriate methodologies to evaluate MCK
competency of PSTs that are accurate, comprehensive and objective as possible. Regarding to the
research, one of the new approaches to investigating PSTs MCK is through reflections upon PSTs’
acts in the classrooms and the intents behind those actions (Daniel & Balatti, 2013). However, it
can be challenging in terms of many contextual factors that impact the evaluation of the quality of
the PSTs MCK. For example, the subjectivity of the assessor can influence the quality of the
judgments made. Other useful methods for PSTs to develop their MCK can be through observing
experienced teachers or reading various resources and materials. For example, previous HSC
questions is one of the helpful resources for senior high school teachers.

It is essential to highlight the relationships between PCK and MCK as well. The PCK play
a significant role in high quality of teaching, in regard to understand the misconceptions of
students, to know the ways in which topics should be taught or organized and adjust lessons that
cater all learners (Alsaleh & Anthony, 2018). Pedagogical content knowledge can be developed
through more practices and experiences and there is no one direction process from MCK to PCK.
However, research has shown in order to have an effective PCK for representing a lesson, teacher
must first have a comprehensive understanding of the topic (Chick & Beswick, 2013). Therefore,
have an in-depth understanding of the concepts is vital for all mathematics teachers and especially
preservice teachers due to their lack of experience as well as reflective practices for development
and activation of PCK.

Opinion

Conceptual understanding of the content is significant aspect to teach mathematics

effectively. This allows preservice teachers to create the lesson in a way to ensure that students
understand the concept in-depth and are able to apply it in new situations. There is no doubt that
mathematics skills and knowledge of the teachers has huge impact on students’ engagements and
achievements. But I believe having a high level of mathematics degree by itself cannot makes an
effective teacher. The teachers must also have the ability to use their MCK to identify mathematical
connections and a number of solutions. They must know the links between knowledge and teaching
(Shulman, 1986). Therefore, it can be opined that for using MKT in an effective way, the teachers
should have a strong mathematical content knowledge regarding the procedures, fluency,
connections and concepts. Current research has shown, some PSTs can successfully provide a
solution to problems in mathematics, a number of them are unable to prove an explanation for the
procedures and concepts used by them (Livy, Herbert & Vale, 2018). This is a concerning issue,
because not only impacts students’ mathematical knowledge and perspectives but also in their
decisions to study mathematics in -level ( AMSI, 2012). Therefore, it is important and essential
for preservice teachers to develop their mathematics knowledge with conceptual understanding of
the content rather than focusing on the procedures and facts. I believe teachers must continually
develop and update their knowledge and mathematical skills in order to meet the contemporary
students’ needs and also to address all aspects of high-quality teaching effectively and
confidentially. Moreover, from my perspective MCK and PCK are both needed as two wings for
a teacher and have a high level of MCK or PCK by itself it cannot be good enough to make a
‘successful’ teacher.
Conclusion
One of the main elements in order to improve students' understanding and instructions
inside the mathematics classroom is the role of the teacher. Often students face a lot of difficulties
with certain topics and concepts; teachers who are effective should be able to clarify these common
misunderstandings of the students. Majority of the studies which emphasizes on the role of the
teachers in order to increase the effectiveness of the instructions emphasizes that the content
knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of the teacher are the most important determinants
of the mathematics learning and instructions. It is more likely for the teachers having
misunderstandings and misconceptions about the particular content to pass on their deficiencies to
the students that they teach. Paradoxically, teachers who have obtained strong mathematical
knowledge and skills are more capable and competent to help their students in order to achieve an
understanding the topics that go beyond procedures and the subject matter. MCK that is isolated
does not appear to be valuable in teaching Mathematics. In order to help develop an understanding
of the students, the teachers must continually develop their MCK as well as PCK. Pedagogical
content knowledge and overall content knowledge are the two domains that are overlapping for
the knowledge of the subject matter.
References

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