Examining the opinions of prospective mathematics teachers on sociomathematical norms

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine prospective mathematics teachers’ opinions regarding the definition of sociomathematical norms, the factors (variables) that are effective in the establishment of sociomathematical norms, and the negotiation of sociomathematical norms. This study was conducted with 10 prospective teachers in the primary school mathematics teaching undergraduate program of a state university located in the Mediterranean Region of Türkiye. The participants of the study, in which the special case approach was adopted, were prospective mathematics teachers in the course on “Sociomathematical Norms in Mathematics Teaching”. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classified under certain categories with content analysis. The results showed that prospective mathematics teachers defined sociomathematical norms according to individual (such as attitudes and beliefs) and social (such as rules, obligations, and expectations) perspectives. In addition, prospective mathematics teachers stated that sociomathematical norms are directly affected by factors such as students, teachers and classroom atmosphere, and indirectly by factors such as family and school. Finally, prospective mathematics teachers emphasized that the negotiation of sociomathematical norms can provide opportunities in terms of learning (skills and autonomy), teaching (participation and intervention) and management (communication and control). In this context, taking into consideration the opinions of prospective mathematics teachers regarding sociomathematical norms is valuable in terms of increasing the efficiency of mathematics applications.