Exploring shifts in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of mathematicians: from first year to the end of second year
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38140/obp3-2025-04Keywords:
Legitimation Code Theory, mathematical practices, mathematicians’ perceptions, pre-service teachers, variation theoryAbstract
This study examines how pre-service mathematics teachers perceive mathematicians' roles and practices, emphasising the shifts in their epistemic and social understandings during their teacher education programme. Using Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) and variation theory, data were collected from 60 pre-service teachers at a South African university, comparing their views from their first to second year. Initial perceptions often conflated mathematicians with educators, focusing on societal roles and pedagogical functions. However, by their second year, after engaging in a mathematics methodology course rooted in variation theory, participants demonstrated an increased appreciation for mathematicians' epistemic practices, including problem-solving, abstraction, and theoretical application. Despite these advancements, many participants continued to frame their understanding through a pedagogical lens, with limited attention to the social dimensions of mathematical work, such as collaboration and interdisciplinarity. These findings underscore the need for teacher education programmes to balance epistemic and social dimensions, enabling future educators to view mathematics as both an intellectual discipline and a collaborative, dynamic field. This study contributes to understanding how theoretical frameworks can inform and transform pre-service teachers' conceptions of mathematicians' roles, bridging the gap between classroom teaching and authentic mathematical practices.
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