A closer look at fraction division: how does comprehension and confidence of the subject change preservice teachers' perception of instructional practice?

Destiny Coslett

This paper illustrates the case studies of three pre-service teachers and the interaction between their comprehension, confidence, and priorities of instructional practice concerning fraction division. Though the participants matured in each of these three categories during an undergraduate mathematics course designed for future teachers, there are substantial differences between each person's experiences and learning. This study finds a connection between a teacher's confidence in the subject and their instructional practice, but does not show any relationship between comprehension of a subject and their perception of appropriate instructional practice or between comprehension and confidence. There are important implications of these finding concerning reform-based methods of teaching mathematics.