A daunting task for pre-service mathematics teachers: Developing students mathematical thinking

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ teaching practice in terms of providing suitable conditions for developing students’ mathematical thinking in the frame of the Advancing Children's Thinking framework. In the study, Advancing Children's Thinking framework developed by Fraivillig et al. was adopted as theoretical framework. Case study was used and participants were determined as four pre-service mathematics teachers. Four lessons for each participant were observed via video camera. The data were analyzed by using descriptive analysis technique within framework components. It was found that pre-service mathematics teachers often elicited students’ mathematical thinking but less often supported and extended. Although they had some theoretical knowledge about the mathematical thinking, they reflected this knowledge in practice for the first time. In this sense, it can be said that the pre-service teachers made important efforts in the development of the mathematical thinking and tried to realize a suitable instruction in the context of the framework. Key words: Mathematical thinking, teaching, pre-service mathematics teacher, developing mathematical thinking.