Mathematics and science teachers’ beliefs about innovations in teaching: A qualitative study

Abstract

The paper explores the ways in which mathematics and science teachers in one primary school perceive innovations in teaching that they implemented during inservice training. We started from the recent findings pointing to the prevailing perceptions of obstacles and an anxious and antagonistic attitude of teachers towards innovations. Hence, the aim of our research was to see whether we would obtain similar findings with the teachers who attended a training course for implementing innovations within the Trefoil project. Research participants were seven teachers. We analysed their conversations, which took place during the meetings of the expert council, about the experiences with implementing innovations. The results have shown that the teachers had the perception that innovations ensured higher quality knowledge and additionally motivated students. Still, the predominant narratives were those about the obstacles referring to the lack of time, difficulties in developing teaching activities and grading system, restrictions in the curriculum, as well as the lack of readiness and cooperation on the part of students and parents. A novelty compared to the previous studies was that we cannot speak about typical reactions. Instead, teachers’ attitude towards innovations changed depending on whether the experiences were positive or they encountered problems in their implementation. The recommendations for the practice of in-service teacher training and further research are provided in the final part. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 179034: Od podsticanja inicijative, saradnje i stvaralaštva u obrazovanju do novih uloga i identiteta u društvu]

Keywords

• teachers’ beliefs about innovations
• qualitative study of teachers’ beliefs
• in-service teacher training
• mathematics teachers
• science teachers