Supporting Mathematics Teachers’ Diagnostic Competence Through the Use of One-to-One, Task-Based Assessment Interviews

In this chapter, the important role that one-to-one, task-based assessment interviews can play in developing inservice and preservice mathematics teachers’ diagnostic competence is presented. We argue that the use of such interviews builds competence through enhancing teachers’ knowledge of individual and group understanding of mathematics, including misconceptions and preferred strategies, while providing an understanding of the typical learning paths in various mathematical domains. The use of such interviews also provides a model for teachers’ interactions and discussions with children in classrooms, building both pedagogical content knowledge and subject matter knowledge.