Anita A. Wager

What Knowledge is Shaping Teacher Preparation in Early Childhood Mathematics

This article examines the bodies of knowledge that influence and inform the teaching of mathematics methods courses for preservice early childhood teachers, focusing on the U.S. context. In particular, the article reports on an analysis of scholarship published over the last 20 years in four journals (two focused on early childhood education and two focused on mathematics education), which examined the discourse in these journals around mathematical content and instructional strategies. The analysis found that attention to the context of early childhood education was minimal, largely as a result of a dominant focus on elementary education. This focus on elementary rather than early childhood showed up in greater attention to advanced content in mathematics and in an emphasis on formal over informal instructional methods. This review suggests a need for research on how preservice teachers learn to teach early mathematics, such as counting and cardinality, to adapt early childhood curricula, to use teaching practices that link formal and informal instruction, and to meet the needs of the whole child while promoting mathematical growth.

Practices that Support Mathematics Learning in a Play-Based Classroom

This chapter reports on the opportunities to learn mathematics in a public, play-based preK classroom. In response to an education climate that encourages increasingly academic practices in early childhood classrooms, the case study presented here provides an example of how teachers’ purposeful practices can provide children with rich opportunities to learn powerful mathematics. I propose an interpretation of ‘focused’ instruction that minimizes teacher-centered practices and privileges play in which a teacher (a) plans and prepares for mathematics learning; (b) builds on children’s understanding, interests and cultural practices; and (c) recognizes and responds to mathematics that emerges in play.

Locating Praxis for Equity in Mathematics Lessons From and for Professional Development

In this article, the authors report on a study that contributes to a growing body of literature that considers professional development (PD) focused on mathematics and equity. The authors examined how lived experiences provide a foundation for the ways teachers take up equity in their mathematics teaching practice. The constructs of praxis and figured worlds are used to frame the study. In particular, teachers’ identities in the figured worlds of standards-based mathematics, multicultural education, and equitable mathematics pedagogy were explored with a focus on how they contributed to where the teachers located praxis for equity in mathematics. The teachers’ lived experiences and their participation in the PD were analyzed with an eye toward teachers’ evolving identities and how they contribute to where teachers located praxis.

Teacher Positioning and Equitable Mathematics Pedagogy

In this chapter I present findings from a study of a semester-long professional development seminar in which teachers critically examined equitable mathematics pedagogy (the interrelation between teaching for understanding, students’ out-of-school mathematical knowledge, and the mathematical knowledge students need to question inequities in their world). In analyzing data generated through the seminar, evidence emerged describing how teachers’ histories and previous experiences influenced their trajectories of engagement with equitable mathematics pedagogy. I first provide a brief context for the seminar. Second, I offer a way to position teachers’ identities with regard to equity and mathematics. Third, I share case studies of three teachers as they examine their beliefs and practices regarding equitable mathematics pedagogy. Finally, I explore both theoretical and practical implications of the study and how I positioned myself in this research.

Swimming Upstream in a Torrent of Assessment

Growing attention to preK mathematics and increased focus on standards in the US may be leading policy makers, administrators, and practitioners down the wrong path when it comes to assessing young children. The temptation to rely on standardised assessment practices may result in misguided understandings about what children actually know about mathematics. As part of a larger study of professional development with teachers focused on culturally and developmentally responsive practices in preK mathematics, we have found that our understanding of children’s mathematical knowledge varies greatly depending on the form (what), context (where), assessor (who), and purpose (why) of assessment. Drawing on findings from three cases, we suggest that in the transition to school, shifting to more a formalised ‘school-type’ assessment is fraught with obstacles that vary greatly by child.

A Commentary on Student Learning and Engagement in Pre-K–12 Mathematics Classrooms

This chapter is a commentary on the chapters in the book focused on student learning and engagement in pre-K–12 mathematics classrooms.

Stories Neglected About Children’s Mathematics Learning in Play

In this paper we describe stories of mathematics learning in play that are often neglected in this era of schoolification and discussions of what counts as learning in early childhood. Drawing on theories of early childhood teaching and learning that emphasize the importance of teachers’ (a) content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and knowledge of children’s development, (b) action competencies, and (c) attitudes and beliefs, we explore three stories of child-teacher interactions in play. We found that, despite different political and public perceptions of what counts as learning in three different countries, preschool teachers evidenced competencies in similar ways – each illustrating a neglected story of children’s mathematics learning.