Pre-service elementary teachers' beliefs and conceptions about the nature of mathematics and mathematics learning

This study investigated the beliefs and conceptions of mathematics and mathematics learning that three distinct groups (traditional/non-concentration - trad/nonc, non-traditional/non-concentration - nontrad/nonc and traditional/concentration - trad/conc of pre-service elementary teachers) bring to teacher education programs and the extent to which they exhibit conceptual understanding on selected mathematical tasks.;The study consisted of two phases. In the first phase, 716 participants completed a 75-item questionnaire that assessed their beliefs across four domains: confidence in doing mathematics, conceptual understanding, effort, and usefulness of mathematics. During the second phase twenty students were selected based on the results of the survey to participate in an in-depth semi-structured interview. Survey data were analyzed statistically while a representative sub sample of eight students was selected and their responses used to compose summary profiles for the interview data.;The trad/conc and the nontrad/nonc students' beliefs about effort making one better able to learn mathematics, confidence in their ability to do mathematics, usefulness of mathematics, and the importance of conceptual understanding in learning mathematics differed significantly; whereas the trad/nonc and trad/conc students' beliefs about the role of conceptual understanding and effort in learning mathematics and usefulness of mathematics did not differ significantly; and the trad/nonc and the nontrad/nonc students' beliefs did not differ significantly. Interestingly, the nontrad/nonc students were more confident than the trad/conc in their ability to do mathematics, and had stronger belief in mathematics being useful in everyday life and in the role of effort in mathematics learning.