Research on Pre-employment Junior High School Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions of Model Concept Literacy in China

Abstract

At present, the educational problem of model concept literacy of students in compulsory education has become one of the focuses of attention in China, and many scholars have conducted research on it, but there are fewer studies on the cognitive level of model concept literacy of pre-employment teachers, and there is still a research gap. In this study, 20 graduate students majoring in subject teaching mathematics and undergraduates who have been admitted to this specialty in a university were surveyed, and the open-ended interview method was used to investigate the model concept literacy of pre-employment teachers. The analysis of the data revealed that (1) the depth of pre-employment teachers' knowledge of model concept is shallow and remains concentrated at a low level, especially with regard to the concept of model concept and the requirements that students need to meet; (2) the depth of pre-employment teachers' knowledge of the model concept was shallow and still concentrated at a low level; and (3) the clarity of pre-employment teachers' knowledge of the model concept was low, few teachers clearly recognize the points in Compulsory Education Mathematics Curriculum Standards(2022 edition), and they either did not have a full understanding of the model concept or did not have a good understanding of the model concept. Therefore, it is recommended that: (1) pre-employment teachers should have an all-round understanding of the model concept and related contents; (2) they should have an in-depth understanding of the requirements and meanings of model concept at different levels; and (3) they should be able to clearly and accurately articulate the requirements of the Compulsory Education Mathematics Curriculum Standards (2022 edition) and put them into practice.