Title: Exploring Prospective Teachers’ Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and Ability to Notice Student Thinking
Date: Friday, November 10
Time: 1:30pm
Location: York Road Building, Room 320
Abstract: Mathematics teacher educators and researchers have become increasingly interested in the construct of “teacher noticing,” an analysis of what teachers attend to and notice about student thinking. Research suggests that skillful noticing of student thinking is linked with more effective teaching (see, e.g. Jacobs, Lamb, & Phillipp, 2010) and that the skills of noticing can be taught during teacher education. A separate line of research about Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (the specialized knowledge of math that is used by teachers) indicates the importance of a deep and connected conceptual understanding of mathematics in planning, enacting and reflecting on teaching (Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008). In this presentation, I will describe work, conducted during my sabbatical, exploring how prospective teachers’ Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching supports their ability to productively notice student thinking.
