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Cognitive Activation in the Mathematics Classroom and Professional Competence of Teachers pp 249–271Cite as

Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs

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Part of the book series: Mathematics Teacher Education ((MTEN,volume 8))

Abstract

Teacher beliefs are thought to play a decisive role in the provision of classroom instruction (Richardson. Handbook of research on teacher education. Macmillan, New York, pp 102–106, 1996). This chapter investigates mathematics teachers’ beliefs about the nature of knowledge (epistemological beliefs) and about mathematics teaching and learning. To this end, 328 mathematics teachers from the COACTIV study were administered 44 Likert items tapping their professional beliefs. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that epistemological beliefs and beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning tend to co-occur into two characteristic, and negatively correlated, patterns of beliefs: a transmissive orientation and a constructivist orientation. The results of multilevel structural equation modeling confirmed the relevance of teacher beliefs for instructional practice and student learning outcomes: Constructivist beliefs were positively related to instructional quality and student achievement, whereas the potential for cognitive activation mediated the relationship between teacher beliefs and students’ achievement. Tentative implications for practice are drawn in the Discussion, followed by an outlook on two other aspects of teacher beliefs investigated in COACTIV: beliefs about the role of the teacher and beliefs about the cultural diversity of the student population.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In social psychological research, these beliefs are often referred to as “ideologies” (e.g., Wolsko et al. 2002) or “cultural models” (e.g., Plaut 2002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Educational Science and Psychology, University Tübingen, Europastraße 6, 72072, Tübingen, Germany

    Thamar Voss

  2. Department of Educational Research, Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN), Olshausenstraße 62, D-24098, Kiel, Germany

    Thilo Kleickmann

  3. Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, PEG, Grüneburgplatz 1, 60323, Frankfurt, Germany

    Mareike Kunter

  4. Free University Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Axinja Hachfeld

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Institute of Psychology, University of Frankfurt am Main, Postfach 125, Frankfurt am Main, 60054, Germany

    Mareike Kunter

  2. , Center for Educational Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Developme, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin, 14195, Germany

    Jürgen Baumert

  3. Mathematik/Informatik, Universität Kassel, Kassel, 34109, Germany

    Werner Blum

  4. Christian Albrecht University, Kiel, Lentzeallee 94, Berlin, 14195, Germany

    Ute Klusmann

  5. , Faculty of Mathematics Education of Math, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, Regensburg, 93053, Germany

    Stefan Krauss

  6. , Institute of Mathematics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenbu, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany

    Michael Neubrand

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Voss, T., Kleickmann, T., Kunter, M., Hachfeld, A. (2013). Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs. In: Kunter, M., Baumert, J., Blum, W., Klusmann, U., Krauss, S., Neubrand, M. (eds) Cognitive Activation in the Mathematics Classroom and Professional Competence of Teachers. Mathematics Teacher Education, vol 8. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5149-5_12

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