Preparing beginning teachers to elicit and interpret students' mathematical thinking

This study investigated how teacher education assignments can be designed to support beginning teachers in learning to do the work of teaching. We examined beginners' formative assessment practices—in particular, their eliciting and interpreting of students' mathematical thinking—in the context of an elementary mathematics methods assignment, and the ways in which the scaffolds provided shaped their practice. We found that the scaffolds differentially supported their practice and suggest strategic improvement of the focus and organization of different types of scaffolds. Findings from the study contribute to the conceptualization and design of scaffolds for practice-based learning opportunities in teacher education.

► Scaffolds can support novices in learning to elicit and interpret student thinking.
► Contextual factors shape whether and how learners use scaffolds.
► Conceptual and metacognitive supports could increase a scaffold's effectiveness.
► Scaffolds should foster skills and insights that are usable in future practice.
► Attend to contingencies among scaffolds and in practices they support.