Epistemological Beliefs of Preservice Teachers as a Function of Their Own Mathematical Education

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Epistemological beliefs in mathematics
• Assessment of Belief Structures
• Internal Consistency and Validity of an Instrument

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This study aims to investigate the relationship between preservice elementary teachers' epistemological beliefs about mathematics and their own mathematical education experiences. The research examines how these beliefs are influenced by their exposure to traditional and constructivist teaching approaches throughout their education.

• Epistemological beliefs in mathematics education
• The impact of traditional and constructivist teaching approaches
• The influence of preservice teachers' own mathematical education experiences
• The use and validity of instruments to assess epistemological beliefs
• The role of educational reform in shaping teachers' beliefs

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the study's context, exploring the significance of epistemological beliefs in mathematics education and the role of teachers' beliefs in shaping teaching practices and student learning. It introduces key concepts from Piaget and Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development and discusses the evolution of teacher education programs from a focus on subject matter knowledge to an emphasis on pedagogical skills.
• Assessment of Belief Structures: This chapter delves into the research on teachers' epistemological beliefs and the challenges associated with evaluating and measuring them. It highlights the importance of reliable methods to assess belief structures and the need for effective intervention strategies to promote constructivist beliefs in preservice teachers. The chapter also explores the contradiction between teachers' beliefs and their actual teaching practices, emphasizing the gap between constructivist theory and traditional classroom practices.
• Internal Consistency and Validity of an Instrument: This chapter focuses on the validity and reliability of instruments used to assess epistemological beliefs. It examines the importance of internal consistency and construct validity, explaining how these concepts relate to the trustworthiness of research findings. The chapter also discusses the challenges of applying instruments designed for one population to another, highlighting the need to ensure the construct's relevance across different groups.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of the text are: epistemological beliefs, preservice teachers, mathematical education, traditional teaching, constructivist teaching, belief structures, instrument validity, internal consistency, educational reform, teacher education programs.