The work of a prospective high school teacher in pre-professional training in highlighting mathematical knowledge

This article aims to identify the knowledge that enables a prospective secondary school teacher to mobilize number sense components during a pre-professional practicum. Using a qualitative case study approach, four classroom episodes focused on fractions, percentages, and algebraic language are analyzed. The study involves one prospective teacher and 23 students from a multi-grade school in central-southern Chile. The analysis integrates teacher’s specialized knowledge and mathematical working spaces to explore how these frameworks inform the teacher’s knowledge. The findings reveal that the teacher employs personal theories, real-life examples, and graphical aids to enhance students’ understanding, though there is a reliance on rules and algorithms. While specialized knowledge aids in teaching, there is less emphasis on fostering students’ conceptual understanding and judgement. The study recommends improving teacher training programs to better equip prospective teachers in grasping number sense components, highlighting the need for more focused training on its development.

Kimelfe