Preparing teachers for realistic mathematics education

AbstractA shift in mathematics education in the Netherlands towards the so-called realistic approach made it necessary to prepare prospective teachers for a type of curriculum different from what they experienced as pupils. This article describes the characteristics of a preservice programme aiming at this goal and presents an analysis of the development of the student teachers' views of mathematics and mathematics education during the programme as well as their classroom behaviour. This analysis is based on two research studies. The first was a longitudinal study in which the student teachers were followed during $${2}$$ years by means of questionnaires and interviews. The second was a study in which graduates from this programme were compared with graduates from a more traditional preparation programme by means of two teacher questionnaires and a pupil questionnaire, the latter measuring the pupils' perceptions of the actual teaching behaviour of the graduates. The teacher education programme appeared to be successful in changing the student teachers' views of mathematics education, especially in the direction of a more inquiry oriented approach, and in promoting effective teacher behaviour in the classroom. As far as their facilitating role as a teacher is concerned, the student teachers seemed to go through a two-stage learning process. Most of them reached the first stage, in which they realize that pupils have different preferences for learning and that a variety of possible explanations for problems should be offered. However, only a small number of student teachers seem to reach the second stage, in which they recognize the principle of building on pupils' own constructions, an important feature of realistic mathematics education. Possible explanations for the low impact of the programme, as well as solutions are discussed.