An analysis of beliefs held by preservice teachers about school mathematics curriculum

Abstract

This study probed preservice teachers’ (PSTs’) beliefs about school mathematics curriculum. The participants were U.S. PSTs who completed a two-part questionnaire assessing their agreement with statements about productive and unproductive beliefs, along with their justifications for the levels of agreement they reported. We analyzed the PSTs’ responses using a combination of descriptive statistics based on Likert scale data and inductive content analysis of written rationales. Most PSTs agreed or strongly agreed with productive belief statements and tended to disagree with the unproductive ones. However, the study revealed notable tensions, particularly in PSTs’ understanding of standards and learning progressions, as well as in their perceptions of pacing guides and open-source curricula. This research highlights the essential skills that preservice teachers need to develop in order to effectively interpret, evaluate, and utilize curriculum materials. These insights can help teacher preparation programs focus on these necessary skills as they prepare future teachers to face the challenges of diverse classrooms.