The development of pre-service teachers’ competence to teach mental calculation strategies

Background: There is a concern in South Africa that pre-service teachers do not have the required knowledge to teach mathematics in primary school and to develop learners’ number sense. In this study, pre-service teachers taught the mental strategy of bridging through ten through a structured teaching sequence from the Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) materials as a work-integrated learning opportunity. Aim: We ask the question: How do the MSAP materials support pre-service teachers in competently teaching mental mathematics? Setting: Thirty-eight Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase) third-year preservice teachers from an Eastern Cape university participated in this study. Methods: Participants taught the strategy during their Teaching Practice, quantitatively analysed the results of their classes and reflected on the experience in a questionnaire and focus group interviews. Results: Results indicate that the teachers were relatively successful in their teaching of the strategy; however, all indicated that they taught the sequence for a more extended period than recommended. Qualitative responses provide evidence of the teachers’ development in their knowledge of learners and their characteristics, general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and knowledge of educational contexts. Conclusion: This study offers evidence of the professional learning of pre-service teachers that resulted from taking an integrated approach to facilitating a mathematics teaching methodology course through requiring a work-integrated learning component. Contribution: We argue that such an approach is necessary for pre-service teachers to be adequately prepared for the challenges of teaching mathematics in the South African classroom.