Research Advances in the Mathematical Education of Pre-service Elementary Teachers

Abstract

This volume is situated in the important area of research that investigates issues related to the mathematical education of pre-service elementary teachers (e.g., Chapman and Shuhua 2017; Lin and Acosta-Tello 2017; Song 2017). This area has attracted significant attention internationally for different reasons. One reason relates to the crucial role that elementary teachers have in setting the foundations for students’ future learning of mathematics (e.g., Ball 1993; Kaput et al. 2007; Schifter 2009; Stylianides 2016). Another reason relates to the difficulties that many ele- mentary teachers face with different mathematical concepts and the counterpro- ductive beliefs they have about mathematics (e.g., Stylianides and Stylianides 2014; Wu 2017). A third reason for which the mathematical education of pre-service elementary teachers matters greatly is that it is during this period that pre-service teachers begin to form a basis of their future and ongoing quest about their expertise in mathematical instruction (e.g., Ma 1999; Jacobs and Spangler 2017; Li and Kaiser 2011). The volume examines new trends and developments in research related to the mathematical education of pre-service elementary teachers, and explores the implications of these research advances for theory and practice in teacher education. It is organized around the following four overarching themes. Each theme includes four main chapters and a concluding chapter acting as a commentary on the theme overall. Although several chapters address issues that span across themes, practical considerations related to the organization of the volume necessitated a best-fit approach