The MTE: managing the professional empowerment of prospective primary teachers

Abstract

The knowledge and practices of primary mathematics teacher educators in the period of initial training have the same impact on prospective primary teachers as teachers’ knowledge does on their students’ learning. The aim of this study is to contribute to characterising educators’ knowledge, particularly with respect to developing their students’ abilities and professional identity. Based on the observation of a training session and an interview, we recorded instances of a primary teacher educator’s knowledge, which we then analysed. The results indicate that not only the construction of professional knowledge, but also the development of teaching abilities and the sense of belonging to a community of teaching practices, become key to the process of professional empowerment of the prospective primary teachers.