Research on Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs

Abstract

Against the backdrop of ongoing educational reforms, the beliefs of mathematics teachers, as a crucial factor in educational practice, have a profound impact on teaching behaviors and students' mathematical learning outcomes. Although many scholars have conducted research in this area, there is currently no literature that provides a comprehensive summary and analysis. This study employs a literature review method, using the Web of Science Core Collection database as the source of literature. Through keyword combinations of "Beliefs" and "Mathematics Teachers," and based on the inclusion criteria of "focusing on core dimensions of mathematics teachers' beliefs" and the exclusion criteria of "removing non-core journal articles," a rigorous screening process was conducted, ultimately identifying 28 articles that met the research standards. The study utilizes content analysis and comparative research methods. The content analysis method establishes a four-level coding framework of "belief dimensions—belief types—core viewpoints—representative scholars" to systematically extract key information from the literature. The comparative research method uses six core dimensions, including the nature of mathematics, mathematics teaching, and student learning, as comparison indicators to analyze the similarities and differences among studies. The related literature on mathematics teachers' beliefs was reviewed and organized, leading to the following conclusions: (1) Presently, research on mathematics teachers' beliefs mainly encompasses multiple dimensions, including beliefs about the nature of mathematics, beliefs about mathematics teaching, beliefs about students' mathematics learning, beliefs about the teacher's role, and beliefs about students' abilities. (2) Current research on mathematics teachers' beliefs reveals their diversity, indicating significant differences in teachers' views on the nature of mathematics, teaching methods, and students' learning abilities. These differences influence their teaching practices and students' learning outcomes. (3) However, the limitations of current research methods are quite evident, lacking direct observation of teachers' actual teaching behaviors, and most studies focus on short-term changes in teachers' beliefs, with a lack of long-term tracking research on teachers' beliefs.