Abstract:
A difference between the beliefs and practices about mathematics learning and
teaching held by teachers in kindergartens and teachers in new entrant classrooms
may lead to problems as teachers and children manage the transition from
kindergarten to school.
The New Zealand education system is governed by various curriculum documents
underpinned by similar philosophies to support teacher practice. These documents
are based on an expectation that teachers build from children’s existing
knowledge and experiences. The system is based on expectations relating to
knowledge that are loosely linked to the year level and age of children.
Evidence about teachers’ practices and beliefs was gathered using a case study
approach. Five primary schools and their neighbouring kindergartens were
purposively selected for this study. Fourteen kindergarten and five new entrant
teachers were observed and interviewed and completed questionnaires about their
beliefs and practices in mathematics teaching and learning over a two year period.
Mathematical events were analysed to document teachers’ practices. Kindergarten
teachers’ practice most commonly mirrored their stated beliefs about how children
best learned mathematics. New entrant teachers, although possessing similar
stated beliefs to kindergarten teachers, did not necessarily follow these beliefs in
their classroom practice.
The beliefs of kindergarten and new entrant teachers in mathematics teaching and
learning were similar, but their practices differed in several dimensions.
Kindergarten teachers believed children best learned mathematics through free
play and exploration of the world around them. These teachers encouraged
children to follow their own interests and supported children as they developed
their ideas and became active problem solvers. These beliefs arose from teachers’
personal experiences combined with the primarily sociocultural focus of the early
childhood curriculum, Te Whariki.
New entrant teachers’ beliefs about mathematics learning and teaching were
similar to those of kindergarten teachers – children learned through having fun,
solving problems, and doing things in a real-life context. However, new entrant
teachers also had clear expectations of the skills five-year-olds needed to know on
their entry to school. When children did not appear to possess these skills,
teachers focused on remediation of the perceived deficits. In practice, new entrant
teachers directed children’s learning based on their beliefs about what children
needed to know to be successful at school. This approach lead to structured and
managed environments with little regard for children’s prior-to-school knowledge
and experiences.
These inconsistencies in mathematics teaching and learning between schools and
kindergartens could be minimised with professional development for teachers that
focused on developing the relationships between teachers in both settings.
