Significant Experiences in Pre-Service Primary Teachers’ Affective Relationship with Mathematics across Time: A Digital Storytelling Study

Source abstract

The present study aimed to address the complex issue of pre-service primary school teachers’ (PSTs’) affective relationship with mathematics, conceptualising it as a dynamic relationship subject to shifts and fluctuations over time. Ninety primary school PSTs from a Greek university narrated their affective relationship with mathematics through digital storytelling (DST); including the significant experiences that marked this relationship, as well as the roles, circumstances, and educational levels that contributed to its formation. Results indicated that PSTs included one or more transformative and reinforcing experiences, which, together with interactions with teachers, family members, and classmates, attendance at different educational levels, and experiences such as written tests and online learning, shaped their affective relationship with mathematics. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for mathematics education and directions for future research.