Mathematics Student Teachers’ Views and Choices about Teaching and Textbooks in Middle and High School Classrooms

A survey of 80 United States middle and high school mathematics student teachers gathered data on availability and use of textbooks and traditional and technology-supported instructional strategies.  Findings about textbooks include (1) most classrooms had one or more textbook formats (print, digital or e-textbook) available but did not necessarily expect students to use the textbook; (2) some differences were noted when comparisons were made based on school location, size, and grade level; and (3) student teachers preferred the digital textbook format but there was also support for the print format.  Analysis of student teachers’ self-reported use of instructional strategies, including a principal component analysis, revealed use of traditional teaching strategies and student-centered teaching.  Student teachers’ views about how best to teach mathematics centered on themes of active learning and ways to meet students’ needs.