Keeping Mathematics Alive in Teacher Education: Mathematics Teacher Educators Navigating Tensions
Keywords:
mathematics teacher education research, mathematical knowledge, societal issues, technology, tensionsAbstract
This article reports on three cases of mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) who experienced tensions when aiming their teaching at extending and strengthening the mathematical knowledge of prospective teachers. Of particular interest in this study are tensions related to MTEs attempts to keep learners’ attention on the intended mathematical ideas of lessons and activities, in addition to important emerging issues related to social justice, technology, and pedagogy. We build on literature that has considered tensions that transpire when teaching mathematics in the K–12 setting, extending the discussion to the case of mathematics teacher educators. This article contributes new and refined understanding about the interplay of tensions impacting mathematics teacher educators who, in their attempt to strengthen teachers’ mathematical knowledge, are pulled away from mathematics in different directions.
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