Training Pre-Service Math Teachers For Developing Students’ Mathematical Culture At School

Abstract

This paper represents the study on training pre-service math teachers and preparing them for developing students’ mathematical culture at school. For this purpose, the paper discusses the notion of mathematical culture and the urgency of its development in view of the decreased level of students’ math knowledge and skills, revealed by the international testing. The study stresses the necessity to organize such pre - service math teachers’ training that would target the development of their psychological and professional readiness to teach at school, equipping them with fundamental math knowledge and skills, proper educational techniques and digital technologies to be applied according to the needs of the learning processes. The paper presents a theoretical model of training pre - service math teachers, designed by the authors on the basis of the literature analysis and successful case studies in this area. The model was tested in the pedagogical experiment with the pre - service math teachers in Kazakhstan. The data obtained from the pedagogical experiment proved the efficacy of the model and teaching methodology suggested by the authors. In conclusion, the main pedagogical conditions for effective pre-service math teachers’ training are laid out to be used for designing textbooks, digital teaching tools and materials accordingly.