Development Of Pre-service Mathematics Teachers' Subject Matter Knowledge

In this paper, the author takes a survey on the professional development of pre-service mathematics teachers'subject matter knowledge by using questionnaire and interview. 82 pre-service mathematics teachers from a normal university of Shanghai are involved in this investigation which focuses on the professional development of pre-service mathematics teachers'subject matter knowledge and pre-service mathematics teachers' evaluation of teacher education curriculum. From the survey the author obtains the following results:1. Pre-service mathematics teachers' subject matter knowledge has not got a nicer development in college. Specific performances are as follows:(1) Most pre-service mathematics teachers do not understand the essential characteristics of infinite set and cardinal number of set.(2) Pre-services teachers'understanding of the concept of function is limited. Many of the subjects have not improved their understanding of the conception of function with anvanced grand of study.(3) Although pre-service teachers can master the concept and criteria equation of curve of second degree taught in middle school, they can not use tools of matrix to study the simplification and classification of curve of second degree.(4) Pre-service teachers lack an understanding of axiomatic definition of probability and they can not use the geometric probability model to solve the problem.(5) Few pre-service teachers know the non-operational properties of familial number systems. Most pre-service teachers do not understand the principles of the expansion of number systems.2. The pre-service teachers are not satisfied with the current curriculum of general normal university.(1) The content of the present courses that has been set up is not closely linked to the middle school mathematics teaching. There is a lack of courses that is closely related with the middle school curriculum reform programs.(2) Mathematics education courses have insufficient class hours. The time conflict would affect the selection of elective courses for the pre-service teachers. (3) There are problems in the examination content and evaluation methods of mathematics courses. The score of pre-service teacher is not consistent with the actual subject matter knowledge that he or she has mastered.At the end of this paper, the author gives some suggestion of the curriculum constitution of pre-service teacher education according to the results of this research. Some subsequent research topics are proposed and also some deficiencies of this paper have been explained.