This research focuses on the relationship that student teachers have with mathematics and how this relationship develops and evolves to create their identity as a mathematics educator during their first year of initial teacher training (ITT) at a University in England.  The impetus for the research has stemmed from witnessing first hand, as a mathematics lecturer in Initial Teacher training, the relationship that undergraduates have with mathematics as subject that they must study but also one that they must teach.  Research has found that teachers with higher levels of self- efficacy are less likely to suffer from burn out and leave the profession early. Less well understood is the development of attitudes towards mathematics in correlation with teaching experiences (Patkin and Greenstein, 2020). Many students entering university may have had 10 or 12 years of learning formalised school-based mathematics, but their subject knowledge is weak. Reasons for this may be that they have disconnected pockets of knowledge and what they perceive to be mathematics bares little correlation with how mathematicians perceive it.

For ITT students who have had a successful past relationship with mathematics and have achieved well in formal school testing such as GCSE and ‘A’ level, it might be assumed that they will have a strong perception of competence and confidence in the subject. However, an erroneous view of the way in which mathematics is presented and viewed as a subject persists amongst these students.  This has also been confirmed through Rowland et al., (2009) who have suggested that formal qualifications are not a reliable indicator of sufficient subject knowledge to teach primary mathematics.

There is the suggestion of a cycle from learner through to teacher whereby perceptions of mathematics are formed by a child through cultural, family and social interactions including through their experiences in school. The weak subject knowledge and poor mathematical pedagogical knowledge held by some teachers can reinforce the negative experiences of the learner. As the learner moves through school further disengagement occurs and shallow learning takes place. I argue that the following elements have an impact on their perceptions of mathematics and self-efficacy: The teaching approach of the school, the relationship with the mentor and how the mentor is teaching them, the relationship that the mentor has with mathematics themselves, the experiences the student teacher gains in teaching across the different strands, the academy approach to mathematics and the use of schemes in general. 

Drawing on a theoretical framework of Bandura’s (1977) theory of the development of self-efficacy I argue that for many student teachers the understanding of the equal value given to the how and the why of teaching may be problematic for them, as it is a different experience to the one in which they experienced as a learner of mathematics themselves. Traditional teaching practices experienced over formative school years lead to beliefs and attitudes being formed about mathematics and how it should be both taught and experienced (Gainsburg, 2012). 

Further to this, the influence of the diversity of teaching approaches of any school-based placement and how decisions regarding the value of mathematical knowledge and the curriculum have an impact on the developing self-efficacy of the student teacher are established. Mentoring also plays a significant role in the student teachers’ developing self-efficacy as does the relationship between the student and the mentor. How this supports or develops positive perceptions of the subject and therefore higher levels of self-efficacy is established.

The research will draw on an explanatory case study approach. The case study approach was selected as it allows for the in-depth study of a problem which then leads to ‘fuzzy generalisations’ (Bell and Waters, 2018, p.30). The ‘case ‘is the formed through the 2021- 2024 cohort of 74 students who have entered the BA Primary Education with QTS which provides ITT university-based training at a university in England. The generalisations may be criticised here as too generalised as they relate to a specific issue within one university however as the teaching approach to mathematics is similar to other universities the generalisations may be identified as relatable. Bassey considered that the use of the case study may be classified as relatable if they are aimed at the improvement of education and if the research is carried out systematically and critically (Bassey cited in Bell and Waters, 2018 p. 30). The data set was collected through the use of a focus group after the completion of the students first year at university. During this time the students have completed two placements, a module on mathematics teaching and submitted their first assignment concerning mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy. Using a qualitative approach, and drawing on the research from an ongoing project, an online focus group consisting of five students was conducted and then analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The research collection forms part of a larger study which aims to follow the students through out the course of their degree. The research questions for this study are as follows: 1) What perceptions of their own competence do student teachers hold about mathematics on entry to the BA primary Education degree.? 20 How might students be effectively supported to develop their personal self-efficacy as a mathematics educator?

The aim of this research is to establish the diversity of experiences that student teachers start initial teacher training with and the impact on developing self-efficacy. It will establish how the combination of placement and university experiences allows the development of subject and pedagogic knowledge of mathematics and if the same approach for all should be used. The process of becoming a teacher is complex (Flores and Day, 2006); it is multidimensional, personal, context driven and presents conflict. It is the combination of previously experienced worlds with the new world being entered and the relationships and norms that must be adhered to (Holland et al., 1998). In a study by Akkoc and Yesildere-Imre (2017) students whose perceptions of mathematics teachers remained stable, were those where the pedagogical ideas espoused by university were matched by those on placement. Where identities were unstable differences were seen between the pedagogies advocated by the institution and those seen in practice. Guskey (2010) stated that for a teacher to change practices, attitudes and beliefs they must first experience a successful impact on the pupils. The student teacher may come into ITT with little experience of the classroom. The contention between university, research-based practice and school contextualised practice may be different. The student needs to navigate differences alongside learning their craft thus experiencing conflict in the development of self-efficacy towards mathematics teaching. Student teachers of the primary phase have a limited time to experience the teaching of mathematics. Guskey (2010) states that the quality of the initial training is crucial to change the attitudes and beliefs of teachers. I argue that this notion needs to be reflected in ITT mathematics programmes through reflection and critical questioning of the content of the mathematics teaching programme at university alongside what student teachers experience and teach whilst on placement.

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