engleski

Pre-service Primary Education Teachers’ Achievement Goals in Mathematics and Their Approach to Learning and Teaching Mathematics

In Croatia, as in many other countries, primary education teachers are trained as generalists and mathematics is only one of several different subjects that they teach, so when choosing their profession they are not necessarily drawn by their interest in becoming a mathematics teacher. Still, it is very important that they have a positive attitude towards mathematics and are motivated to teach it to their students. The aim of this study was to explore whether pre-service teachers with different achievement goal profiles have different beliefs about mathematics and teaching and learning mathematics. The participants were 325 pre-service primary education students. The research was conducted in three waves, during the students’ first, third and fifth year of study. In their first year of studies, we collected data on the achievement goals in mathematics that they had in high school, and self-efficacy in mathematics. Epistemic beliefs, subjective value of mathematics and mathematics anxiety were assessed at all measurement points. In their third and fifth year of study, we also collected data on the participants’ mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs and, in their fifth year, beliefs on teaching and learning mathematics. The results of the cluster analysis showed that we could group pre-service primary education teachers into three groups according to the profiles of their achievement goals in high school: (1) all goals high, (2) all goals low, (3) mastery orientation. The results showed differences between the groups in terms of motivation for learning mathematics at the beginning of their studies. However, these differences tend to be less prominent over time. At the end of their studies, they do not differ in their mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs or their beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics.

achievement goals ; mathematics education ; motivation ; teacher education ; teachers’ beliefs

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