Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching in the Senior Phase: Entry-Level Teacher Candidates’ Subject Content Knowledge
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FED.2024.09.25.16Keywords:
Baseline test, Entry-level, Mathematics knowledge, Senior phase mathematics, Teacher candidates, Subject content knowledgeAbstract
Having mathematical knowledge for teaching is now essential in defining the expertise of a mathematics teacher. Skilled and proficient educators in teaching are effective in attaining the intended educational objectives. Teaching is considered to be a noble profession as teachers rely on students' intellect as the main avenue of learning. It is a challenging role that demands dedication and hard work. Patience, respect, and sound judgment are qualities closely associated with teaching. In addition to sharing knowledge, teachers also reveal their own personalities, thoughts, principles, attitudes, and emotions. This paper reports on a study investigating the entry-level teacher candidates’ mathematics content knowledge for teaching in the senior phase. The study adopted a quantitative approach. A mathematical subject content knowledge baseline test for senior phase teacher candidates through Computer-Aided Mathematics Instruction (CAMI) was used to collect data. One hundred and eighty-five (185) teacher candidates who completed the Baseline Tests for all grades 7, 8, and 9 in the senior phase were selected for this paper. Purposive and convenience sampling were used in this paper. The data from the Baseline Test was analysed using descriptive statistics. Due to the inclusion of Baseline Tests in the CAMI package, every question on each grade was deemed valid. The CAMI Reports were then analysed using Microsoft Excel 2013. The findings suggested that at the entry-level, teacher candidates had limited and insufficient mathematics content knowledge and understanding. Therefore, teacher educators need to enhance the teacher candidates' comprehension of the mathematics they will be instructing in the senior phase. This paper recommends that the barriers in the teacher candidates' mathematics content knowledge and the understanding of the concepts should be addressed in the teacher education course.
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