| The education of elementary teachers in mathematics has emerged as a central issue in teacher education. Problems arise when teachers are asked to teach mathematics in a manner that emphasizes conceptual understanding and problem solving when their own mathematics education was procedurally based. Although there have been several studies that focus on the exposure of teachers to in-depth in-service programs, there has been less analysis of how most teachers develop their mathematical understanding.;This study examines how elementary school teachers learned to teach mathematics during their pre-service education and in their first few years of teaching. The study identifies those experiences teachers found to be most significant in their development as mathematics teachers. All seven teachers in this study had been taught using procedural methods and each had to find a way to integrate conceptual mathematics education into their own understanding. The study examines the teachers' motivations for pursuing this understanding and the circumstances that provided opportunities to do so. A qualitative analysis of these experiences, relying primarily on the teachers' own statements, reveals common features that allowed teachers to deepen their understanding of elementary mathematics.;Specifically, the study examined teachers during their student teaching and in their own classrooms two to five years later. The teachers were also interviewed twice about their experiences in learning and teaching mathematics. The results are presented as case narratives, primarily in the teachers' own words, as they reflected upon those experiences that critically affected their learning to teach mathematics. A cross-case analysis identified common themes: (1) All seven teachers had been very good mathematics students, yet six felt their own study of mathematics had not prepared them to teach conceptually. The teachers were motivated, as adults, to better understand elementary mathematics. (2) In their efforts to deepen their conceptual understanding the teachers relied on other teachers, the stimulus of challenging curricula, and pre-service courses and in-service activities emphasizing content. (3) In all cases the teachers deemed an adult re-thinking of elementary mathematics essential to develop successful pedagogical strategies.;The results raise questions for pre-service educators, principals, mentor teachers and curriculum developers. |
