The role of a childrenʹs mathematical thinking experience in the preparation of prospective elementary school teachers

Historically, content preparation and pedagogical preparation of teachers in California have been separated. Recently, in integrating these areas, many mathematics methodology instructors have incorporated childrenʹs thinking into their courses, which are generally offered late in students’ undergraduate studies. We have implemented and studied a model for integrating mathematical content and childrenʹs mathematical thinking earlier, so that prospective elementary school teachers (PSTs) engage with childrenʹs mathematical thinking while enrolled in their first mathematics course. PSTs’ work with children in the Childrenʹs Mathematical Thinking Experience (CMTE) may enhance their mathematical learning. Preliminary study results indicate that the sophistication of CMTE students’ beliefs about mathematics, teaching, and learning increased more than the sophistication of beliefs held by students enrolled in a reform-oriented early field experience and that experiences considering childrenʹs mathematical thinking provided PSTs with increased motivation for learning mathematics.