Enacting Knowledge in Context: A Classroom-Based Analysis of a Pre-Service Teacher's Practice

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Enacting Knowledge in Context: A Classroom-Based Analysis of a Pre-Service Teacher's Practice
Language: English
Authors: Paula Verdugo-Hernández (ORCID 0000-0001-6162-654X), Sofía Caviedes Barrera (ORCID 0000-0002-5304-212X)
Source: European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. 2026 14(1):47-67.
Availability: European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. Eastern Mediterranean University, Farnagusta, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey. e-mail: editor@scimath.net; Web site: http://www.scimath.net
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Student Teachers, Mathematics Teachers, Geometric Concepts, Mathematics Instruction, Knowledge Base for Teaching, Semiotics, Secondary School Mathematics, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Chile
ISSN: 2301-251X
Abstract: This study explores how a pre-service mathematics teacher mobilizes specialized knowledge while teaching three geometric concepts: similarity, homothety, and Thales' theorem. Drawing on the mathematics teachers' specialized Knowledge model and Duval's (1995) theory of registers of semiotic representation, the study examines how knowledge domains are enacted through multiple representations. Data were collected from three consecutive lessons during the teacher's practicum in a socioeconomically disadvantaged and traditionally structured classroom. Findings indicate that the pre-service teacher evidenced representational fluency and procedural clarity, particularly in the use of diagrams and gestures to convey proportional reasoning. However, conceptual generalizations and formative engagement with students' thinking remained limited. The study underscores the importance of teacher education programs in explicitly linking representational practices with epistemic goals and student reasoning, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts where systemic constraints often restrict opportunities. This research contributes to ongoing discussions on pre-service teacher development and the pedagogical demands of geometry instruction in authentic classroom settings.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1500574
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This study explores how a pre-service mathematics teacher mobilizes specialized knowledge while teaching three geometric concepts: similarity, homothety, and Thales' theorem. Drawing on the mathematics teachers' specialized Knowledge model and Duval's (1995) theory of registers of semiotic representation, the study examines how knowledge domains are enacted through multiple representations. Data were collected from three consecutive lessons during the teacher's practicum in a socioeconomically disadvantaged and traditionally structured classroom. Findings indicate that the pre-service teacher evidenced representational fluency and procedural clarity, particularly in the use of diagrams and gestures to convey proportional reasoning. However, conceptual generalizations and formative engagement with students' thinking remained limited. The study underscores the importance of teacher education programs in explicitly linking representational practices with epistemic goals and student reasoning, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts where systemic constraints often restrict opportunities. This research contributes to ongoing discussions on pre-service teacher development and the pedagogical demands of geometry instruction in authentic classroom settings.
ISSN:2301-251X