Developing STEM competencies for pre-service mathematics teachers

The article is devoted to analyzing and justifying the importance of integrating computer algebra systems (CAS), particularly Maple, into teacher education for pre-service mathematics teachers. The key aspects of utilizing such systems for developing STEM competencies, enhancing research skills, integrating interdisciplinary knowledge, and creating an innovative learning environment are considered. The document highlights the role of Maple in transforming traditional mathematics education into a digital and STEM-oriented paradigm, emphasizing practical approaches to designing educational activities. This study aims to explore the role of Maple-based computer tools in the context of training pre-service mathematics teachers to implement STEM education while studying a discrete mathematics course. The research methods used in the article include theoretical analysis, systematization, and generalization of data from scientific, methodological, and specialized literature. The article addresses the training of pre-service mathematics teachers to implement STEM education by designing their professional activities using the Maple computer mathematics system. The feasibility of integrating Maple into the professional training of teachers as a means of forming digital, research, and interdisciplinary competencies is substantiated. A project activity model is proposed, based on the principles of the STEM approach and utilizing Maple as a tool for modeling, visualization, and analytical processing of mathematical problems. The use of Maple in the training of mathematics teachers promotes the integration of knowledge from related disciplines, characteristic of STEM, and ensures the readiness of future teachers to utilize digital technologies in organizing collaborative learning and project work within the STEM education framework. This aligns with modern trends in mathematics education, which place special emphasis on innovative methods and technologies.

Technological innovation has the potential to speed up development. However, in most African countries the education system is largely theoretical in nature with inadequate attention to STEM education. In effect, students leave school lacking critical skills which are necessary in today's global economy. We developed and implemented a project-based learning program to provide hands on STEM education to 27 high school students in Ghana through which students developed solutions to real-life problems in Ghana's agricultural sector. Our evaluation of the program revealed a statistically significant improvement in students' self-reported proficiency of the innovation process and core coding concepts. All the students reported that they had been inspired to solve problems in their communities and would recommend others to attend the program. Hence, given the results reported here, our program can serve as a tool to introduce high school students to innovation and real-world problem solving. Our Project iSWEST model can be implemented in other African countries to promote a culture of innovation and help catalyze development.

Pre-service mathematics teachers’ metaphors about mathematics teacher concept

<p style="text-align: justify;">Preservice mathematics teachers' beliefs about actions related to the use of the technological tools in teaching mathematics may affect how they are going to use them in their classroom activities. However, there is a limited evidence of what beliefs they hold on their intended actions of using technological tools in teaching mathematics. This study presents two preservice high school mathematics teachers' actional beliefs related to their intended actions in teaching geometric transformations (GTs) using Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP). The study comprised of a series of five task-based qualitative interviews with each of two senior undergraduate preservice teachers at a medium-sized public university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. This study used a radical constructivist grounded theory (RCGT) with five assumptions—symbiosis, voice, cognition, adaptation, and praxis as a theoretical framework to guide the study process. The thematic findings of the study included four in vivo categories of their beliefs associated with actions of teaching GTs with GSP – assessment of student learning, engaging students in a group activity in exploring GTs with GSP, engaging students in individual activity in exploring GTs with GSP, and exploring GTs with GSP as 'suck it up and do it.' Pedagogical implications of these categories have been discussed.</p>

In the context of Bangladesh, there is no substantial research going beyond level of belief of mathematics teachers of technology use in teaching learning process. While belief influences to motivation, perception, intention, awareness and acceptance therefore, is has been assumed in this study that there must be some determinants of acceptance among school teachers in Bangladesh. Calculators and other technological tools, such as computer algebra systems, interactive geometry software, applets, spreadsheets, and interactive presentation devices, are vital components of a high-quality mathematics education. With guidance from effective mathematics teachers, students at different levels can use these tools to support and extend mathematical reasoning and sense making, gain access to mathematical content and problem-solving contexts, and enhance computational fluency. In a well-articulated mathematics program, students can use these tools for computation, construction, and representation as they explore problems. The use of technology also contributes to mathematical reflection, problem identification, and decision making. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh bringing technology in mathematics teaching is less studied and overlooked. This has led this particular research to conduct this study.

STEM education is an integrated approach that combines science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines with different subjects in real life situations, together and simultaneously. The views of pre-service teachers introduced to STEM by means of workshops that presented information and scales on STEM education regarding the subject were collected in this study. The participants of the study were the senior class students at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Faculty of Education, Department of Primary Education, Physical Sciences (37 members) and Mathematics Education (20 members). A survey with open-ended questions was used to collect data. A descriptive content analysis was performed and the data were summarized in the tables. The results showed that the pre-service teachers have more positive views about the STEM approach, and there is not a significant difference between the views of science and mathematics teachers. Also, they reported positive views about making such applications in their future classes.

The purpose of this article is to suggest using portfolio for professional development of secondary pre-service mathematics teachers based on actual application case. To achieve this goal, 28 pre-service mathematics teachers developed their own portfolios in the regular study course for one semester under the pre-planned components of portfolio. Then they participated in the survey of their beliefs in mathematics and mathematics education and in the structured interview for drawing implications of using a pre-service mathematics teacher portfolio. According to the collected data, developing a pre-service mathematics teacher portfolio made a significant difference in beliefs of mathematics teachers' roles and showed the potential to improve the professional development of pre-service mathematics teachers as well as their learning. Continued investigation for more effective components of a pre-service mathematics teacher portfolio would be needed.

To understand three-dimensional modeling and printing (3DMP) technology, pre-service mathematics teachers (PMTs) need to experience it within their education program. This technology can be used to solve model-eliciting activities (MEAs). The present qualitative study aimed to investigate the challenges and opportunities of PMTs in integrating 3DMP while solving one MEA. To this end, the qualitative data—the researchers’ field notes and the PMTs’ written, digital, and physical work—were collected from 20 PMTs in a single session of the 3D printing in school course as part of a teacher education program in Austria. The results indicated that the participants encountered both challenges and opportunities concerning 3DMP and collaboration. These findings can provide insights into the use of 3DMP-integrated MEAs in mathematics education and teacher education.

This study explores the complex interplay between teacher attributes, learner instructional approaches, and the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in mathematics education, highlighting their collective impact on educational outcomes. Through a comprehensive survey of 196 teachers and 315 learners, the research delves into the relationships between teacher experience, educational qualifications, and the frequency and manner of technology use in the classroom. The analysis reveals that younger educators and those possessing advanced academic credentials are more inclined to actively incorporate ICTs into their teaching practices, demonstrating a higher level of comfort and enthusiasm for leveraging these tools to enhance student learning. Conversely, the study finds that more experienced teachers, particularly those with lower qualifications, tend to utilize technology less frequently, possibly due to a preference for traditional teaching methods or a lack of confidence in their ability to effectively integrate new technologies. Additionally, the study investigates the strategies employed by learners, with a particular focus on web-based self-learning approaches, such as the use of online educational videos and interactive platforms. The data indicates a significant positive correlation between these strategies and improved academic performance in mathematics, suggesting that learner-centered approaches that emphasize self-directed, technology-mediated learning can lead to better educational outcomes. These findings underscore the critical importance of considering both teacher characteristics and learner-centered instructional methods when developing strategies for the effective integration of technology in mathematics education. By tailoring these strategies to meet the diverse needs and preferences of educators, while simultaneously promoting effective self-learning techniques among students, educational institutions can better harness the potential of ICTs to improve learning outcomes in mathematics and beyond.

This paper captures and reports on mathematics pre-service teacher (PST) voices. Mathematics PSTs, in a tertiary mathematics secondary curriculum teaching subject assessment, were asked to perform a small-scale literature review on an issue they identified as important in mathematics teaching. The assessment, written as an article, required literature-based recommendations, a reflection on how this would impact the PST’s future teaching and guidance for all mathematics teachers. The article was aimed for publication by the Mathematics Association of Victoria—a state-based mathematics professional association in Australia. PSTs were advised that articles would potentially be published, and their voice would reach practicing mathematics teachers. The published articles, which capture pre-career mathematics teacher voices were analysed for insight into what four PSTs said of their future teaching to a mathematics teacher audience. The professional teacher standards were recognised to influence comments given the strong emphasis of standards within initial teacher education courses. Findings speak to what mathematics PSTs expect of their future teaching role prior to being in-service. The paper contributes a snapshot of early established professional voices in a discipline where there is currently a shortage and highlights the messages that emerged.

This study investigates the relationship between affective mathematical disposition (MD) and numeracy among pre-service mathematics teachers in Indonesia. The research examines explicitly how different dimensions of MD influence students' numeracy skills. A total of 237 participants took part in a semester-long numeracy enrichment program, followed by a numeracy assessment and an MD questionnaire based on Beyers' seven affective dimensions. Using multiple linear regression analysis, the findings indicate that MD significantly affects numeracy (p = 0.018), with an adjusted R-squared value of 0.571, indicating that 57.1% of the variance in numeracy scores can be explained by MD. Notably, the dimensions "Nature in Mathematics" (β = 0.584, p = 0.033) and "Mathematics Self-Concept" (β = 0.612, p = 0.016) exhibit significant positive influences on numeracy. Highlighting the role of conceptual understanding and self-perception in mathematical learning. These results align with the program’s design, which emphasized conceptual understanding and reflective self-assessment—elements directly tied to both dimensions. However, other dimensions, including "Usefulness," "Worthwhileness," "Sensibleness," "Attitude," and "Math Anxiety," did not show significant effects. This may be due to participants' shared perceptions as mathematics teacher candidates, resulting in low variability on those dimensions, or due to possible mediation effects (e.g., motivation) that were not examined in this study. The findings suggest that interventions aiming to strengthen numeracy should focus on enhancing students’ understanding of mathematical structures and fostering a strong self-concept as mathematics learners. This study contributes to mathematics education by highlighting the specific affective dimensions that most directly relate to numeracy, providing a nuanced perspective for teacher educators seeking to balance cognitive and affective development in their curriculum. Keywords: mathematical disposition, affective domain, numeracy, pre-service mathematics teachers, mathematics education.

The use of digital technology in mathematics education has gained significant interest over the past few years with the rapid development of technology and the changing practices in education all around the world. Technology-enhanced learning of mathematics has been increasingly used to enhance conceptual understanding, engagement and problem-solving skills of the students. This study was an attempt to identify and synthesize the pedagogical opportunities of technology enhanced mathematics learning and examine the practical constraints associated with the integration of technology in mathematics education. This research is a systematic review of the studies published between 2020 and 2025 concerning the pedagogical opportunities and practical limitations regarding the use of technology in mathematics education. Following the PRISMA framework, a systematic identification, screening, and analysis of peer-reviewed journal articles were performed. After a rigorous selection process eighteen studies were identified to have met the predefined inclusion criteria, and included in the final review. The selected studies were analyzed with the method of thematic analysis used to identify recurring patterns in the literature and key themes. The results indicated that technology-enhanced mathematics learning provides important pedagogical opportunities such as better conceptual understanding, better student motivation, and development of higher-order thinking skills as well as individualized learning experiences and inclusive education support. However, persistent practical problems were also identified, including insufficient preparedness of teachers, insufficient technological infrastructure, digital inequity, misalignment of curriculum and ethical issues concerning artificial intelligence. The findings in this study conclude that while technology has great potential to transform mathematics education, the effectiveness of technology depends on pedagogical alignment, teacher competence and institutional support. Addressing these constraints is crucial to ensuring sustainable and meaningful integration of technology in mathematics classrooms.

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 has drastically changed the global employment landscape, necessitating the comprehensive development of 21st-century skills in education systems. This study examines how private high schools in Indonesia implement 21st-century skills, focusing on the barriers faced, the strategies used, and their impact on student learning outcomes. We used a mixed-methods approach involving 200 students, 25 teachers, and 10 principals from five private high schools in Java. Data were collected through surveys, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results revealed four main barriers: limited teacher preparedness, limited resources, difficulties in assessment, and resistance to changes in teaching methods. Effective strategies implemented included ongoing professional development programs, integrating learning technology, project-based learning, and strengthening teacher collaboration. Our findings demonstrate significant improvements in students' critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills in schools implementing the comprehensive strategy. This research provides theoretical contributions to understanding the implementation context in developing countries while offering practical implications for policy makers, school administrators, and educators in designing contextual and sustainable 21st-century skills development programs.

The development of professional digital competencies is an important condition for a meaningful integration of digital technologies in mathematics education. A widely used and empirically studied approach for the professional development of in-service teachers are teacher design teams, in which lessons are collaboratively planned, implemented and reflected. However, this approach has not yet been considered for the collaboration of pre-service and in-service teachers. Therefore, this article examines in a holistic case study mixed teacher design teams composed of pre-service and in-service teachers. A total of 23 interviews were conducted with pre-service and in-service teachers and analyzed by inductive development of categories using the method of qualitative content analysis. The case study shows among other things, that the different prerequisites of the participants can lead to a relatively clear division of roles within the collaboration, which turns out to be suitable for the professionalization of both pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers.

Mathematics education in Indonesia faces significant challenges, as reflected in the low performance of students in various international assessments. Traditional teaching methods, which are less interactive, are considered one of the key factors contributing to students' low problem-solving abilities in mathematics. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the impact of Polya's heuristic model on students' mathematical learning outcomes and determine the extent to which this strategy can enhance students' learning abilities compared to conventional teaching methods. The study employs a meta-analytic approach, integrating data from 15 primary studies conducted between 2014 and 2023, and uses statistical analysis to calculate the average effect size of the implementation of Polya's heuristic model in mathematics education. The findings reveal a significant improvement in students' mathematical learning outcomes using Polya's heuristic model, with an average effect size of 1.13, categorized as "very high." The study suggests that the application of Polya's heuristic model is significantly more effective in enhancing students' mathematical learning outcomes than conventional teaching methods. The practical implication is that educators and policymakers in Indonesia could consider adopting this strategy in curricula and teacher training programs to improve the quality of mathematics education.