Ways that preservice teachers integrate children’s literature into mathematics lessons
Abstract
Children’s literature involving mathematics provides a common, natural context for the sharing of mathematics. To learn more about how preservice teachers included children’s literature in their mathematics lessons, a study was conducted over two semesters during a required field experience component of an undergraduate teacher education program. The preservice teachers were required to use a children’s literature book to explore a mathematical concept in three mathematics-focused lesson plans. The qualitative data analysis revealed that in planning mathematics lessons to incorporate children’s literature, preservice teachers tended to focus on basic approaches. Specifically, the preservice teachers most often used a book as context for review, to develop a concept, or to use with manipulatives. As a result, it is important for teacher educators to provide the opportunity for preservice teachers to learn more about the various ways of integrating literature and provide the necessary support for incorporating these strategies into their lessons.
Reference
Rogers, R. M., Cooper, S., Nesmith, S. M., & Purdum-Cassidy, B. (2015). Ways that preservice teachers integrate children's literature into mathematics lessons, The Teacher Educator, 50(3), 170-186.
Journal
The Teacher Educator
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- field placements (not related to methods courses)
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
14
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
Data Analysis Tools
- coding to a prior categories
- Qualitative Analysis
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
How do preservice teachers describe, through assigned mathematics
lesson plans, their implementation of children’s literature?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes