Mathematical Preparation of Elementary School Teachers: Generalists versus Content Specialists

摘要

It is now common knowledge to many that mathematics knowledge for teaching is key to the improvement of mathematics classroom instruction. Few would disagree that teacher preparation should also increase its emphasis on mathematics content training for prospective teachers. Yet, it is not clear what impact courses taken on mathematics content and methods may have on teacher preparation (Wilson, Floden, & Ferrini-Mundy, 2001). One approach is proposed to have elementary school teachers as content specialists (e.g., Fennell, 2006). In this way, we may expect that in-service teachers will be specialized in teaching different content subjects and prospective teachers will get adequate preparation in mathematics. But is this really a good idea? Will the preparation of content specialists be the solution for the long-standing concern about U.S. teachers' knowledge in mathematics and their performance in mathematics teaching (e.g., Li, 2007; Ma, 1999; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999)? In this brief, I aim to address this issue with reference to what we can learn from relevant practices in East Asia, highlight the differences evidenced in prospective teachers' mathematics performance cross-nationally, and conclude with possible suggestions obtained.