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Epistemological beliefs of prospective preschool teachers and their relation to knowledge, perception, and planning abilities in the field of mathematics: a process model

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Abstract

Teacher competence is a multi-dimensional construct that includes beliefs as well as knowledge. The present study investigated the structure of prospective preschool teachers’ mathematics-related beliefs and their relation to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. In addition, prospective preschool teachers’ perception and planning skills were assessed as indicators of teacher performance. Questionnaires were used to measure beliefs, paper-and-pencil based achievement tests to measure knowledge, and a video-based test to measure perception and planning abilities. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that prospective preschool teachers’ mathematics-related beliefs can be distinguished into a static, a process, and an application orientation. Structural equation modeling revealed that an application orientation and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge can predict the ability to perceive mathematical learning situations and to plan adequate actions. Conclusions for preschool teacher education are drawn from the results.

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Notes

  1. KomMa (Struktur, Niveau und Entwicklung professioneller Kompetenz von Erzieher/innen im Bereich Mathematik) is a joint research project at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Alice-Salomon University of Applied Science Berlin. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (FKZ: 01PK11002A) and is part of the funding initiative KoKoHs (Kompetenzmodellierung und Kompetenzerfassung im Hochschulsektor).

  2. Yules Y is a better estimator for Cohen’s κ when marginal distributions are unequal (Wirtz and Caspar 2002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Simone Dunekacke & Katja Eilerts

  2. Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Uhlhornsweg, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany

    Simone Dunekacke

  3. Centre for Educational Measurement at the University of Oslo (CEMO), Oslo, Norway

    Lars Jenßen & Sigrid Blömeke

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  1. Simone Dunekacke
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  2. Lars Jenßen
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  4. Sigrid Blömeke
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Correspondence to Simone Dunekacke.

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Dunekacke, S., Jenßen, L., Eilerts, K. et al. Epistemological beliefs of prospective preschool teachers and their relation to knowledge, perception, and planning abilities in the field of mathematics: a process model. ZDM Mathematics Education 48, 125–137 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0711-6

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