Student-Teachers’ Beliefs towards Learning Mathematics and Beliefs of Mathematics Teaching Efficacy and their Relation to their Perception of the Development of Pupils’ Understanding of Mathematics

Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating the student-teachers’ beliefs towards learning mathematics, and beliefs of mathematics teaching efficacy and their relation to their perception of the development of pupils’ understanding of mathematics. Three measures were used in this study: The beliefs towards learning mathematics, the mathematics teaching efficacy beliefs, and the mathematics teacher's perception of the development of pupils’ understanding. Validity and reliability were established. A sample of student-teachers participated in the study. The results of the study showed that the more the positive student-teachers’ beliefs towards learning mathematics, the greater their mathematics teaching-efficacy was. Similarly, the greater the positive student-teachers’ belief towards learning mathematics, the more they become aware of the development of pupils’ understanding of mathematics. Finally, increasing the teaching efficacy of mathematics student-teachers was associated with an increase in their perception of the development of pupils’ understanding of mathematics. Both beliefs and teaching efficacy explained significant variance in the perception of their pupils’ understanding of mathematics.