New Model of Mathematics

Teacher Education Program

Maitree Inprasitha
Center for Research in Mathematics Education
Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Introduction
• “Simple logic but it is difficult to do”

• “If we want to change our society , we

have to change our classroom”

• “In order to change the classroom, we

need to change our teachers”
Today Topics
• Teacher Education: The
Past/Present/Future Challenge in
Mathematics Education
• History of Teacher Education in Thailand
• New Model of Teacher Education in
Thailand
Teacher Education:
The Past/Present/Future Challenge
in Mathematics Education
• What are the essential characteristics of a
professional program for teachers?
• Should a program for teachers differ from a
liberal arts program, and if so, what should be
the distinctive features of the treatment of
subject matter in each type of program?
• What types of courses in professional education
should be required of prospective teachers?
(Gibb et al., 2003).
History of Teacher Education in Thailand

• 1949 ~1975 (nearly 3 decades) Most of Teacher

Education Programs offered only Certificate in
Teacher Education (2 or 4 years continuing from
Junior high school graduates in (7-3 system))
• 1975 ~2003 (nearly 3 decades) Teacher Education
Programs offered 4-years Bachelor Degree
• But More Emphasis on Preservice Teacher Education
than In-service Teacher Education
Status of Teacher Education
Past
• 36 teachers’ colleges and 8 universities of education
locating across the country had gained high
respectability in providing teachers to elementary and
secondary schools.
• The persons who entered teachers’ college and
university of education at that time were high-
achiever students from various schools
Present
• After universities of education had been changed to be
comprehensive universities thirty years ago and teachers’
colleges had been changed to be Rajabaht Institute 10 year ago
and now become Rajabaht universities

• Faculties of education at these universities have become

'second-class′ faculties in terms of their profile.

• The graduates feel inferior to graduates from other programs

and often have negative attitudes towards their career. This
is a crucial problem for most teacher education programs
currently.
New Challenge in MathEd in Thailand
• After the 1999 Educational Acts was enacted,
Thailand was put into an educational reform
movement.
- National Agenda “Reforming Learning
Processes”
• New Curriculum launched in 2001
- Integration of Contents, Skills/Processes,
and Desirable Characters (e.g., attitudes,
values, etc.,)
Essential requirements in the 2001
Thai Curriculum

Processes
/ Skills

Contents/
Subject Desirable
Matters Characters
How to integrate these three aspects?

Process
Skills ?
Contents/
Desirable
Subject
Characters
Matters
Innovation needed for an integration
Lesson Study/
Process Open Approach
Skills

Contents/
Subject Desirable
Matters Characters
We did not prepare future teachers for this
demand.
• Preservice Teacher Education Program
Traditional 4 year teacher education program
no longer respond to the demand

• In-service Teacher Education Program

Have no Sustainability of professional
development for teachers of mathematics
Foundations of “New Model” of Teacher
Education Program
• Theoretical Approaches

• Innovation-Led Changes

• Continuum of Professional Development from

Preservice to In-service Professional Programs

• Core Values: Building Collaboration, Public Concern,

Open-minded Attitudes, emphasis on Product-Processes
Approach
Theoretical Approaches
• Building Community of Practices (Lave & Wenger,
1995): Learning is participating in Community

• Emphasis on “Reflective Thinking” on every activity

(Dewey, 1933) Or “Metacognition”: Learning by
improving Reflective Thinking

• Teacher’s Knowledge (Shulman, 1988) : Add School

Math and Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Innovations-Led changes
• Open Approach
• Lesson Study
Features of New Teacher Education Program
of KKU(2004 ~)
• 5-year Bachelor Degree Program
• More credits in major Courses (84/170 Cr.)
• Define What is mathematics for future teachers
• Run all activities through innovations
• Emphasis on improving ‘reflective thinking or
metacognition’ in all activities
• Emphasis on supporting activities
• 1-year School Internship
 Curriculum Structure
The total number of credits (170 credits)
Components credits
1.Specific educational courses 134

1.1 Teaching profession Courses 50

1.2 Majoring Courses 84

-Content knowledge (Collegiate and 60
School mathematics) 24
-Pedagogical Content Knowledge
30
2.General Education Courses
6
3.Selective Courses
 Curriculum Structure of 5 Year Program in Various University

Curriculum Specific Courses GE SC Total

Structure Professional
related Majors
courses Math MPCK
Contents
University

Khon Kaen Univ 50 60 (36+24) 30 6 170

24
Chulalongkorn Univ 50 74 - 34 10 168
Sri Nakharin wirot Univ 50 74 - 30 6 160
Chiangmai Univ 50 62 - 32 6 174
Rajabaht Suansunantha 55 81 - 30 6 172
Univ
Courses Teaching through Open
Approach

231 111 Problem Solving Processes in School Math

231 214 Language and Communication in School Math

Courses Teaching based on Lesson
Study Approach
231 321 Organization of Learning Experience in
Mathematics in Basic Education Level 1-2

231 422 Organization of Learning Experience in

Mathematics in Basic Education Level 3-4

231 441 Research in Mathematics Classroom

Activity in Classroom
ActivityininClassroom
Activity Classroom
Activity in Classroom
Emphasis on Supporting activities
• Social Activity (Y1-Y5, M1-M2, D1-D3, Alumni
Students)
• 2 Math Camps (Y2-Y3)
• Visit School in the Lesson Study Project (Y3 – Y4)
• Study Tour (Y1-Y5, Some M and D students)
• Participating in International Events (Y1-Y5, M, D)
• Participating activities in Lesson Study Project (Y5)
• Participating in Graduation Ceremony of Seniors
• Sport Day
Social activity: Learning career path from seniors
Social activity
Emphasis on Supporting activities
• Social Activity (Y1-Y5, M1-M2, D1-D3, Alumni
Students)
• 2 Math Camps (Y2-Y3)
• Visit School in the Lesson Study Project (Y3 –
Y4)
• Study Tour (Y1-Y5, Some M and D students)
• Participating in International Events (Y1-Y5, M,
D)
• Participating activities in Lesson Study Project
(Y5)
• Participating in Graduation Ceremony of Seniors
• Sport Day
Math Camp: Learning to know natural
ways of thinking of young kids
Math Camp
Math Camp
Emphasis on Supporting activities
• Social Activity (Y1-Y5, M1-M2, D1-D3, Alumni
Students)
• 2 Math Camps (Y2-Y3)
• Visit School in the Lesson Study Project
(Y3 – Y4)
• Study Tour (Y1-Y5, Some M and D students)
• Participating in International Events (Y1-Y5,
M, D)
• Participating activities in Lesson Study Project
(Y5)
• Participating in Graduation Ceremony of Seniors
• Sport Day
School Visit
Participating in Open Class (Open Forum)
Emphasis on Supporting activities
• Social Activity (Y1-Y5, M1-M2, D1-D3, Alumni
Students)
• 2 Math Camps (Y2-Y3)
• Visit School in the Lesson Study Project (Y3 – Y4)
• Study Tour (Y1-Y5, Some M and D students)
• Participating in International Events (Y1-Y5, M, D)
• Participating activities in Lesson Study Project (Y5)
• Participating in Graduation Ceremony of Seniors
• Sport Day
Study tour in country for Y1 –Y3
Study tour in neighboring countries in Y4
Emphasis on Supporting activities
• Social Activity (Y1-Y5, M1-M2, D1-D3, Alumni
Students)
• 2 Math Camps (Y2-Y3)
• Visit School in the Lesson Study Project (Y3 – Y4)
• Study Tour (Y1-Y5, Some M and D students)
• Participating in International Events (Y1-Y5, M, D)
• Participating activities in Lesson Study Project (Y5)
• Participating in Graduation Ceremony of Seniors
• Sport Day
Participate in International Symposium
of APEC

Reflect
Emphasis on Supporting activities
• Social Activity (Y1-Y5, M1-M2, D1-D3, Alumni
Students)
• 2 Math Camps (Y2-Y3)
• Visit School in the Lesson Study Project (Y3 –
Y4)
• Study Tour (Y1-Y5, Some M and D students)
• Participating in International Events (Y1-Y5, M,
D)
• Participating activities in Lesson Study Project
(Y5)
• Participating in Graduation Ceremony of Seniors
• Sport Day
Graduation Ceremony
Internship Students: Partnership with
teachers through Lesson Study Processes
Internship Students in School
Internship Students in School
Internship Students in School
Supervise Internship Students
Assessment of Curriculum after 5 years
implemented
• Survey Results
Year Number of Percentage of
Students Responses
1 35(71) 49.30
2 26(75) 33.33
3 49(56) 79.03
4 50(64) 75.76
5 12(39) 33.33
total 172(305) 54.95
Number in ( ) show the total numbers 5 students each year
 Percentage of Student Responses to Unsatisfaction
with Courses on Collegiate Mathematics
Collegiate Mathematics Courses Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Mathematics I 0 3.85 12.24 0 9.09

Mathematics II 5.71 15.38 2.04 0 9.09
Calculus I 2.86 3.85 2.04 0 9.09
Calculus II 11.43 15.38 20.41 0 18.18
Principle of Mathematics 0 7.69 0 4 9.09
Basic Statistics 2.86 3.85 2.04 4 9.09
Linear Algebra I 5.71 46.15 0 30 18.18
Number theory I 2.86 3.85 4.08 6 9.09
Advance calculus I 20 3.85 0 18 18.18
Introduction to Mathematical Analysis 0 3.85 0 18 9.09
Numerical Analysis 0 3.85 0 12 9.09
Discrete mathematics 2.86 3.85 12.24 4 18.18
 Percentage of Students Responses of unsatisfaction
with courses on school mathematics
School Mathematics Courses Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Geometry in School Mathematics 0 0 0 2 0
Number and Operations in School 2.86 0 4.08 4 0
mathematics
Basic Measurement in School 0 7.69 4.08 0 0
Mathematics
Advanced Measurement in School NA 0 0 6 0
Mathematics
Algebra in School Mathematics NA 0 4.08 0 9.09
Probability and Statistics in School NA NA 0 4 0
Mathematics
Computer Technology in NA NA 2.04 12 0
Mathematics in classroom
Research in Mathematics Classroom NA NA NA NA 0
Percentage of Students to Unsatisfaction
with courses on MPCK
Courses in Mathematics Pedagogical Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Content Knowledge (MPCK)
Problem solving processes in school 0 3.85 0 0 0
mathematics
Processes of proofs and reasoning In 8.57 3.85 4.08 12 0
school mathematics
Representation in school mathematics NA NA 4.08 4 0

Language and communication in school NA NA 0 4 0

mathematics
Connection in school mathematics NA 0 4.08 2 0

Organization of learning experience in NA NA o o 0

mathematics in basic education level I-II
Organization of learning experience in NA NA NA 2 0
mathematics in basic education level II-
IV
Special topics in teaching school NA NA NA NA 18.18
mathematics