To Notice, but What? An Investigation on Pre-Service Teachers’ Noticing of Strengths and Deficits in Student Thinking

Abstract

This study examined pre-service mathematics teachers' (PMTs) orientations in noticing students' mathematical thinking (SMT) and how these orientations affect their noticing skills. A total of 108 PMTs' responses to openended scenario-type questions were analyzed. Results showed that PMTs mostly adopted deficit-based orientations, focusing on students' errors or misconceptions, evaluating their thinking negatively, and correcting errors. A significant number of PMTs displayed a blind spot orientation, reflecting gaps in their understanding that hindered their noticing skills. The study found a relationship between orientations and noticing components, suggesting that PMTs' orientations in attending influenced how they interpreted and responded to student thinking.