• Pre-Service Training
• In-Service Training

IX. Teacher Preparation

Pre-Service and In-service Training Recommendations

The state of mathematics education is as fluid as ever in history. A combination of new pedagogical approaches, access to inexpensive technology, and the need to have a more mathematically literate population has caused each aspect of mathematics education to be questioned repeatedly. Everything from the physical layout of classrooms to specific content questions is being questioned, examined, changed and then re-questioned. Mathematics is no longer the "cheap" science, with no laboratory equipment needs and little on-going change or development to challenge instructors. . Chapter 7 of the South Carolina Framework for Mathematics is a good place to start to look at these issues; it has been virtually ignored in the educational community. In this context, the in-service and pre-service issues become more and more critical. It is now terribly easy to become out-of-date, both with respect to pedagogical issues and with respect to content. Consequently, the approaches to training and re-training teachers of mathematics are now even more critical issues.

Pre-Service Training

Placement of new teachers into the workforce is at a critical juncture. The interest in teaching as a profession is extremely low due to working conditions and low pay. This is exacerbated in the sciences by the many job opportunities available, and the low competition for these jobs, in the business community. There are a sizable number of teachers of mathematics leaving the job at the end of their first semester of teaching. A combination of improved working conditions and more access to a support structure can improve the experiences of both new teachers and continuing teachers.

Middle school education is an especially critical area of concern. The need for early decisions and entry into algebra described earlier is also putting pressure on middle school teachers’ training. The lack of specific standards for middle school science and mathematics training, when the curricula in the sciences and mathematics at the middle school level is getting more and more technical, is severely harming our students’ ability to achieve on the international level. This is obvious from the latest TIMMS studies. Specific curriculum requirements, with a substantial increase in expectations, need to be established as part of a certification for middle school teachers in the state of South Carolina.

All of these issues combine to make a series of changes in training and educational practices necessary. The steps which need to be taken, some of them on a school-by-school basis, include training issues and workplace issues:

1. Add middle school certification with courses restricted to potential middle school teachers; courses need to directly address content and specific mathematics education methods.
2. Establish middle school training and certification standards to include basic probability and statistics, linear systems, geometry, and calculus (single variable), using appropriate technology. These are necessary for the content currently needed in middle school mathematics.
3. Ensure all teachers of mathematics meet the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards for qualifications.
4. Include more mathematics content in the certification programs at the university level, even if this is at the expense of some educational coursework.
5. Provide experienced teachers of excellence to act as mentors for new teachers. This needs to be on-going for their first two years and demands time from both the new teacher and the mentor. There should be one course released time for the new teacher and for the mentor.
6. Ensure that new teachers get reasonable teaching assignments, instead of a schedule made up of all the worst courses.
7. Reduce non-teaching responsibilities of mathematics teachers by hiring aids to do non-content related, non-teaching related duties. The goal is to match more closely the norms in countries with better math/science educational records.
8. Reduce class time interruptions – education must come first above all other activities. These interruptions are destructive when student concentration is a necessity.
9. Continue emphasizing graduate teaching assistant training in mathematics education and pedagogy at the colleges and universities; often these GTA’s are teaching potential teachers.
10. Provide a better balance – that is more mathematics and fewer "general" education courses – during the pre-service training. Additionally, make more of the education courses specifically applicable to mathematics and science teachers.
11. Educate students to expect continued training (after hired) in content, technology and pedagogy due to the continuously changing nature of mathematics education.

In-Service Training

As mentioned above, the need for on-going education for teachers already in place in schools is critical. The training that is available is often minimal, in-house, and not connected to changes in content. Most teachers are very eager to stay up-to-date and implement changes in their profession; there simply is no time, no money, and few opportunities to allow them to maximize their expertise. Training must be provided that is more accessible in terms of time and money, more convenient, and more focused on mathematical content.

The most effective and efficient method would be to implement the actions recommended below, with a special emphasis on Advanced Placement style or National Science Foundation style training institutes for summer training. The institutes should be designed so that each one involves teachers from around the state; this would incorporate a potential for uniformity among and interaction between teachers from different school districts and from different parts of the state. The institutes should be fully funded and of a reasonable length so as to allow the most coverage of material.

Additional recommendations follow:

1. Increase workshops, especially mathematical content workshops and workshops which are offered by individuals external to the school district.
2. Continue to educate teachers to expect continued training (after hired) in content, technology and pedagogy due to the continuously changing nature of mathematics education.
3. Establish systematic retraining to include on-going innovations and exposure to the material from sources such as this report and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards. (Note: This can be partially achieved by increasing paid attendance, including paying for leave days, at NCTM meetings and other similar professional meetings.)
4. Develop Advanced Placement style institutes which would add on content for middles school in at least the four areas of concern to middle school mathematics education; requirements should be in place which would ensure that completion of the institute training would occur within 4 years of starting middle school teaching and would weave course content across boundaries.
5. Include integrated content, methodology and technology in training courses.
6. Encourage middle school teachers to "sit-in" on high school courses; provide periodic released time or appropriate scheduling on a rotational basis to make this feasible.
7. Include in institutes: required attendance, training in learning/study skills, on-line features for follow-up, review of algebra, award of a certificate of (extended) renewal, and evaluation on an individual basis.
8. Reeducate the public and the educational community to realize that at this time "certified" does not necessarily mean qualified to teach a particular subject; bring these concepts back in alignment and eliminate open certification at the state level.
9. Continue to emphasize standards and requirements regarding mathematical content.
10. Provide opportunities for teachers to stay current with the changing issues and practices in mathematics education.

Visitors since April 30, 1999

Last updated: May 11, 1999
Site design by Tim Humphrey, zzhumphreyt@kagi.com