Teachers’ attitudes towards mathematics in early childhood education

Abstract

In Germany during the past few years the nursery school (for ages three-six) is increasingly regarded as an educational institution rather than a childcare centre. This is reflected in the increasing number of curricula for young children, which include mathematics as a domain of learning skills. In the past mathematics has not been part of the curriculum for training nursery school teachers. Therefore it is not clear what the teachers' understanding of mathematics is. Do they feel open or reluctant towards mathematics? Is mathematics thought of as an abstract system? Do the teachers see mathematics mainly in the gathering and sequencing of experiences? Which activities are meant to further the development of the child's mathematical thinking? The results of a questionnaire survey of 110 nursery school teachers in Germany show that the majority of the teachers are open towards mathematics. They emphasise the benefit of mathematics for everyday living. However, many nursery school teachers perceive as mathematical tasks only those which involve the use of numbers and shapes.RÉSUMÉ: Depuis quelques années, en Allemagne, les structures préscolaires (pour enfants de trois à six ans) apparaissent de plus en plus comme des institutions éducatives que comme des services d'accueil. Ceci se laisse à voir dans le nombre croissant de curricula préscolaires qui incluent les mathématiques comme domaine d'apprentissage. Dans le passé, les mathématiques ne faisaient pas partie du curriculum de la formation des éducateurs. C'est pourquoi on ne sait pas encore très bien quelle en est la compréhension chez les éducateurs. Sont-ils ouverts aux mathématiques ou, au contraire, réticents ? Les perçoivent-ils plutôt comme un système abstrait ou comme une activité de collecte et de séquencialisation d'expériences? Et quelles activités sont-elles supposées favorables au développement de la pensée mathématique de l'enfant? Les résultats d'une enquête par questionnaire auprès de 110 éducateurs, en Allemagne, montrent que la majorité d'entre eux est ouverte aux mathématiques et insiste sur leur utilité pour la vie quotidienne. Toutefois, un grand nombre considèrent comme activités mathématiques seulement celles qui incluent l'utilisation des nombres et des formes.ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: In den vergangenen Jahren wird in Deutschland der Kindergarten (für drei-bis sechs-Jährige) verstärkt als Bildungseinrichtung wahrgenommen. Dies zeigt sich in der Auflage von Bildungsprogrammen, die auch die Mathematik als Lernbereich enthalten. Mathematik gehörte jedoch in der Vergangenheit nicht zum Curriculum der Erzieher-Ausbildung. Es ist deshalb unklar, welches Verständnis von Mathematik Erzieherinnen haben. Stehen Erzieherinnen der Mathematik aufgeschlossen oder distanziert gegenüber? Wird *Mathematik eher als abstraktes System wahrgenommen, oder sehen Erzieherinnen in der Mathematik eine Tätigkeit, die im Sammeln und Ordnen von Erfahrungen besteht? Und welche Tätigkeiten der Kinder werden als wichtig für die Entwicklung ihres mathematischen Denkens eingesch...

Examination of the Relationship between the Preschool Teachers’ Attitudes towards Mathematics and the Mathematical Development in 6-Year-Old Preschool Children

“…Anders and Rossbach (2015) also found that teachers did not have more negative attitudes towards mathematics than other professions (Baroody, Lai, & Mix, 2006). These results also coincide with the conclusion that in Thiel's (2010) study in Germany, most preschool teachers are open minded towards mathematics.…”

“…In this study, it is found that while the teachers with positive attitudes towards teaching mathematics and mathematics encourage students frequently in the teaching process, teachers who have math anxiety and negative attitudes spend significantly less time on mathematics. Children who do not have enough math applications for their mathematical development remain at a low level in this area (Thiel, 2010). Lee (2005) examined the relationship between the attitudes of 81 preschool teachers towards mathematics and their mathematical practice.…”

“…The failure of teachers to teach mathematics has also led to the failure of many learners (Thiel, 2010). Trice and Okben studied the 40 teachers in 1987 from second grade to fifth grade to examine the relationship between mathematical concerns and mathematics teaching practices.…”

“…Teachers' beliefs regarding to mathematics have a great impact on shaping their behaviors. There is a mutual relationship between teachers' common attitude towards mathematics and beliefs (Thiel, 2010). Beliefs about mathematics was directly affected by the attitude (Ajen, 1989).…”

Okulöncesi Öğretmenlerinin Erken Matematik Eğitimine İlişkin Tutumları

“…2006). Bu sonuçlar Thiel (2010)'in Almanya'da yaptığı araştırmasında çoğu okul öncesi öğretmenlerin matematiğe karşı açık fikirli olduğu sonucu ile de örtüşmektedir.…”