Preliminary Investigations of Pre-service Teacher Numeracy

Abstract

It is essential that pre-service teacher educators address pre-service teacher numeracy butwith careful consideration as it incorporates more than mathematics skills. Numeracy alsoinvolves disposition towards mathematics—attitudes, confidence and mathematics anxiety;that is, the level of willingness to use mathematics skills. As part of an emphasis ondeveloping pre-service teacher numeracy, a new first year unit was introduced. Pre-serviceteachers were given tools to investigate their competence, attitudes towards, confidencewith, and anxiety regarding mathematics. This paper outlines the changes that wereidentified in the numeracy of these pre-service teachers at the completion of the unit.