Pre-service teachers’ noticing of the function of mathematical naming in the teaching of fractions

In this paper, we present the rationale and results of a study conducted with 79 pre-service primary-school teachers on their sensitivities to notice the pedagogic function of naming practices in the language of teaching fractions. Our results are a contribution to noticing research on mathematics teacher education and language. Although participants were not familiar with discussions of the language of teaching mathematics in general and the language of teaching fractions in particular, they engaged in an intervention with a professional task that provided opportunities to notice potential relationships between mathematical naming and the conceptual understanding of fractions. The written answers to questions from the task show attention to mathematical naming practices that may be useful in interactions with students who experience specific learning challenges. Taking decisions about how to name in mathematically relevant ways in the teaching of fractions, nonetheless, seems to be quite complex, or at least not obvious in the participant answers. The teacher education intervention lasted two sessions of two hours each. We therefore recommend a more sustained curricular inclusion of the language of teaching mathematical content in the initial preparation of mathematics teachers.