Developing foundation phase mathematics pre-service teachers at a University in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa: Teaching number sense

Résumé

The Foundation Phase is a crucial stage of learning, where learners gain a basic understanding of number sense. The mathematics curriculum for the Foundation Phase includes five content areas, and the content area, numbers, operations, and relationships covers more than half of the curriculum. Pre-service teachers receive training on content to have a thorough conceptual understanding of basic mathematical concepts, as well as pedagogical content knowledge specific to this phase. The purpose of this study was to enhance pre-service teachers’ understanding of number sense and how to teach it. The study employed a constructivist-based framework because such a framework integrates pedagogical content knowledge and mathematical knowledge for teaching. Such a framework supports exploration of how student teachers build their understanding of teaching through experience, reflection and social interaction. The instrument used for data collection was the document analysis, where a sample of 20 scripts was used. Data was collected from a rural university situated in the Eastern Cape, and a case study design was utilized. The researcher chose the method of content analysis to interpret data because this method entails dividing the content into themes, which are then classified into categories and then codes. The findings reveal that pre-service teachers could not define some mathematics concepts correctly. The study thus recommends encouraging student teachers to develop their ability to explain mathematical concepts using proper mathematical language. Additionally, integrating technology into their teaching practice is advised to support more effective instruction of number sense to young learners.

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