Costello, Eddie
(2022)
An Action Research Investigation into Pedagogies of Enactment in
Initial Teacher Education to Support Pre-Service Primary Teachers
to teach Mathematics for Relational Understanding.
PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Abstract
The problem of enactment describes a teacher’s inability to translate effective theories of
teaching into practice, and as a result they fail to produce effective classroom learning. It is
common for pre-service teachers (PSTs) to experience the problem of enactment, and
invariably they tend to enact instructional practices that are inconsistent with their beliefs
(Kennedy, 1999).
My practice involves working with primary PSTs to develop their relational understanding of
mathematics to support their classroom teaching. My concern, and motivation for this study,
was my observation that PSTs did not enact their mathematical knowledge in the classroom,
despite having proven competence in the area. Therefore, the objective of this study was to
understand the reasons for this from the perspectives of PSTs enrolled in my content module
(n=67) and make subsequent changes to my practice using Grossman and McDonald’s (2008)
Pedagogies of Enactment model of teacher learning.
The Action Research paradigmatic approach was chosen for this study because it involved
making changes to my practice in a cyclic manner and evaluating if those changes had the
desired effect. The study used two cycles of Action Research carried out over a period of two
academic years. The specific aims of the study were to explore factors that contribute to the
problem of enactment, and how an intervention could be developed to address these factors.
It also aimed to examine PSTs’ beliefs and the role they play in the enactment of mathematical
knowledge.
Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from PSTs using focus groups, classroom
observations, and questionnaires, and analysed using Braun & Clarkes thematic analysis, the
Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI) framework (Learning Mathematics for Teaching
Project, 2011), and the ANOVA statistical test respectively.
The findings indicate that the Intervention can be effective in addressing the problem of
enactment, but the model alone is not enough. Teacher educators need to work
collaboratively to create an environment that is supportive of PSTs enacting and practicing
their knowledge. Finally, this study recommends that ITE departments invest in professional
development for teacher educators and reconsider the traditional model of ITE to work
collaboratively with partner schools to improve PSTs’ practical experiences.
| Item Type: |
Thesis
(PhD)
|
| Keywords: |
Action Research Investigation; Pedagogies of Enactment;
Initial Teacher Education; Support; Pre-Service Primary Teachers;
to teach Mathematics for Relational Understanding |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > Education |
| Item ID: |
16537 |
| Depositing User: |
IR eTheses
|
| Date Deposited: |
20 Sep 2022 11:42 |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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