Simone Dunekacke

Process Mediates Structure: The Relation between Preschool Teacher Education and Preschool Teachers' Knowledge.

Data about processes and outcomes of preschool teacher education is scarce. This paper examines the opportunities to learn (OTL) of prospective preschool teachers (N = 1,851) at different types and stages of preschool teacher education and their relation to general pedagogical knowledge (GPK), mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK), and mathematical content knowledge (MCK) with standardized tests. Process indicators in terms of OTL and outcome indicators in terms of knowledge varied substantially across teacher education types and stages. Controlling for preschool teachers’ background, multilevel models revealed that OTL in general pedagogy and mathematics pedagogy provided during teacher education were significantly related to GPK and MPCK. Effect sizes reached up to 2 thirds of a standard deviation. OTL in mathematics pedagogy were in turn significantly related to the type of institution that offered a program in favor of pedagogical colleges compared with vocational schools. OTL were also significantly related to program stage in favor of the last year of preschool teacher education compared with the beginning. Process characteristics in terms of OTL mediated fully or partly structural characteristics of teacher education such as type of institution or program stage. These results suggest that the OTL provided are more important than whether prospective preschool teachers were at the beginning or the end of their program or whether they were prepared at vocational schools or pedagogical colleges (although entrance differences have still be taken into account). It may be an important responsibility of policymakers then to ensure that all prospective preschool teachers receive sufficient OTL.

Cognitive, educational and psychological determinants of prospective preschool teachers’ beliefs

ABSTRACT This study examined the level, structure and cognitive, educational and psychological determinants of beliefs about the relevance and nature of mathematics, about gender-stereotypes with respect to mathematics abilities and about enjoyment of mathematics. Prospective preschool teachers from programs at vocational schools and higher education institutions as well as in the first and last years of their programs were compared. As hypothesized, the beliefs were significantly correlated to each other which pointed to a coherent belief system. Differences between types of institutions and program stage supported the notion of development during the program. Knowledge of mathematics and opportunities to learn mathematics pedagogy were significantly related to beliefs. This may point to a need to include these domains in preschool teacher education or to require them as prerequisites before intake to a program. Gender-stereotypes were more strongly related to flexibility than to domain-specific predictors which points to the personality-related nature of beliefs.

Is Considering Numerical Competence Sufficient? The Structure of 6-Year-Old Preschool Children’s Mathematical Competence

Studies investigating mathematical competence of children aged 3–6 mostly focus on children’s knowledge in the content area of quantity. However, researchers and educators agree that young children also develop mathematical competence in other mathematical content areas, e.g., space and shape. Up to now, there are only few instruments to measure mathematical competence of young children as a broad construct: one is the Kieler Kindergartentest (KiKi). There is a lack of evidence whether children’s competence in different mathematical content areas are empirically distinguishable. We collected data from 335 children at the end of their last preschool year with the KiKi and analyzed the structure of their mathematical competence. Our results indicate that even for young children, mathematical competence can be considered as a multidimensional construct structured by the three domains of (1) quantity; (2) space, shape, change, relationship; and (3) data and chance. These empirical findings can give a hint that also on the preschool level, different aspects of mathematical competence should be addressed.

Operationalisierung des mathematikbezogenen Wissens angehender frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte

Im Rahmen des BMBF-Projekts KomMa wurden Leistungstests zur Erfassung des professionellen Wissen angehender fruhpadagogischer Fachkrafte im Bereich Mathematik und Mathematikdidaktik entwickelt. Das mathematische Wissen wurde anhand der mathematischen Inhalte operationalisiert. Bei der Operationalisierung des mathematikdidaktischen Wissens werden vorbereitungs- und interaktionsbezogene Dimensionen berucksichtigt. Beide Leistungstests werden anhand von Itembeispielen vorgestellt. Des Weiteren wird die differenzielle Validitat der entwickelten Tests mit einem deskriptiven Verfahren gepruft. Hierzu wird das Wissen der angehenden Fachkrafte in Beziehung zu dem angehender Grundschullehrkrafte gesetzt. Der Test differenziert in der betrachteten Gelegenheitsstichprobe nur eingeschrankt zwischen den beiden Gruppen, was eine kleinere Einschrankung der insgesamt gut belegten Validitat der beiden Leistungstests darstellt.