Reflective self-study for an integrated learning approach to early childhood mathematics teacher education

South African Journal of Childhood Education

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Reflective self-study for an integrated learning approach to early childhood mathematics teacher education
 
Creator Kortjass, Makie
 
Subject — Early childhood mathematics; integrated learning approach; self-study research; arts-based methods —
Description Background: This article gives an account of what I learned through the process of a self-study research project. Self-study teacher research allows teacher educators and teachers to improve their learning, plan new pedagogies and impact students’ learning.Aim: The aim of this self-study research was to improve my own practice in early childhood mathematics teacher education through interaction and collaboration with others, such as colleagues and students.Setting: As a South African university-based teacher educator, I piloted an integrated learning approach (ILA) in the teaching and learning of early childhood mathematics in a selected undergraduate programme.Methods: I began by tracking my personal development in mathematics education and in so doing was able to recognise my personal learning of mathematics as a child growing up in an African township context. I then worked with a class of 38 student teachers to create collages and concept maps to explore their understandings and experiences of ILA.Results: Through this project, I discovered that colleagues in the role of critical friends provided essential feedback on my work in progress. I also learned that student teachers need to be equipped with knowledge and hands-on experience of how integration can take place in teaching and learning early childhood mathematics. I realised that it was essential to constantly reflect on my own personal history and my professional practice to explore new ways of teaching mathematics.Conclusion: Teacher educators may consider engaging in self-study research that includes art-based self-study methods to reflect on their practices and see how they change for the benefit of their students and ultimately for the benefit of the learners.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2019-01-22
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip application/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajce.v9i1.576
 
Source South African Journal of Childhood Education; Vol 9, No 1 (2019); 11 pages 2223-7682 2223-7674
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/576/923 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/576/922 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/576/924 https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/576/921
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2019 Makie Kortjass https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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