PROCEEDINGS OF THE 23RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2020
Boston, Massachusetts
Metacognition: An overlooked dimension in connecting undergraduate mathematics to secondary teaching
Page: 829
This theoretical report discusses metacognition as a tool for connecting teachers’ experiences as learners of undergraduate mathematics to their teaching practice. Academic mathematics has long been considered an essential component of secondary teacher preparation. Current initiatives to make academic mathematics relevant to teacher knowledge and practice focus on course design and the role of instructors. This limits the potential for undergraduate mathematics to impact teacher practice, by restricting attention to select courses. To maximally leverage the impact of academic mathematics on teaching, teachers should be active participants in forming connections. In this report I discuss a metacognitive practice in which teacher are guided to reflect on their experiences as learners of undergraduate mathematics and use these experiences to inform their teaching practice. The report is presented from a theoretical perspective, but it emerged from empirical data. Examples are presented and discussed.