Delta-K,  Research,  Volume 52, Issue 1

Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics: How Much Is Needed and Are Saskatchewan Teacher Candidates Getting Enough?

Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association

Volume 52 Issue 1, December 2014

17 -21

Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics: How Much Is Needed and Are Saskatchewan Teacher Candidates Getting Enough?

Nico Higgs and Egan J Chernoff

W hat makes a good math teacher? A dichotomy often emerges when this question is asked-one that pits two hypothetical math teachers against each other. Is the teacher who is an expert in math but not very skilled in pedagogy better than the teacher who knows very little about math but is highly skilled in pedagogy? Various arguments are thrown around. usually with both sides eventually conceding that an effective math teacher needs at least a decent understanding of both math and pedagogy.