The Effects of Children’s Literature on Preservice Early Childhood Mathematics Teachers’ Thinking

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PDF The Effects of Children’s Literature on Preservice Early Childhood Mathematics Teachers’ Thinking
Published: Feb 12, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v18i1.20722

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Christopher Jett
University of West Georgia

Abstract

In this article, the author shares an intervention of using children’s literature as a pedagogical frame for an undergraduate mathematics content course with early childhood education majors to influence their thinking about mathematics teaching and learning. With this case study of 29 preservice teachers, the author found that literature increased preservice elementary teachers’ excitement about mathematics, heightened their self-efficacy in mathematics, and motivated them to design innovative mathematics lessons. By elaborating on these findings, the author makes a case for the continued need for mathematically competent teachers in elementary classroom spaces, and the author advocates for the incorporation of literature as a means to do this work. Finally, the author provides implications for future research and practice with other SoTL-related projects involving children’s literature.

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How to Cite
Jett, C. (2018). The Effects of Children’s Literature on Preservice Early Childhood Mathematics Teachers’ Thinking. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18(1), 96–114. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v18i1.20722
Issue
Vol. 18 No. 1 (2018): Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Section
Case Studies
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