Pre-service teachers' perceptions of the ideal learning environment for mathematical activities

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the stated research gap and recommendations and future work of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2024 and 2026, spanning 6 journals. Those papers have been cited 12 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 6 representative gaps

• Understanding Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of the Ideal Learning Environment for Mathematical Activities Through Drawings (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · cited 4× · doi

  The study identifies a gap in the understanding of pre-service teachers' perceptions of the ideal learning environment for mathematical activities. Prior research has focused on the physical, social, and emotional aspects of learning environments, but the study highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding. The study aims to address this gap by exploring pre-service teachers' perceptions through drawings and reflections.

  generalstated research gap
  Keywords: study identifies gap understanding pre-service teachers perceptions ideal
• Problem Solving and Posing Processes of Middle School Students with Hearing Loss in Inclusive Education (2026) · Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi · doi

  Based on the results of this study, the following recommendations are proposed: 1. To support the development of problem-solving and problem-posing skills among hearing loss students, it is recommended to integrate a greater number of problem-posing activities into instructional processes. 2. It is suggested that fill-in-the-blank and semi-structured problem-posing tasks, which have been observed to enhance students’ motivation and yield higher levels of success, be incorporated into classroom practices more frequently. 3. Considering that students experienced particular difficulties in expressing ideas related to division while posing problems, it is recommended to develop instructional activities that will emphasise the conceptual differences between multiplication and division. 4. Given the relationship between students’ language skills and their problem-solving abilities, it is recommended to implement reading comprehension-based practices aimed at improving mathematical literacy. 5. Additionally, to enable students to employ more diverse strategies during problem–solving, it is recommended that explicit instruction on a variety of problem-solving strategies be included in the curriculum. 6. For future research, it is suggested to make comparisons using tasks that involve solving and posing real- life problems rather than standard word problems, and to include classroom observations to provide a more comprehensive analysis of students’ behaviours. 15 Öner & Yavuzsoy-Köse Problem Solving and Posing Processes of Middle School Students with

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: problem students solving posing recommended problems based skills activities instructional processes tasks classroom practices division
• Enhancing Statistical Literacy in Data Representation: The Impact of Problem-Posing Intervention* (2026) · Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education · doi

  Based on the findings of this study, several practical and research-oriented recommendations can be made. First, the integration of problem-posing activities into middle school statistics instruction appears to enhance students’ ability to represent and interpret data more critically. Therefore, teachers and curriculum developers may consider incorporating structured problem-posing opportunities into regular classroom practice, especially within topics related to data representation and analysis. These activities do not need to replace existing methods but can complement them to promote student engagement and deeper learning. Given the observed improvements in students’ graphical literacy and proportional reasoning, teacher training programs may also include modules that introduce educators to the pedagogical design and implementation of problem-posing tasks. Such training may help teachers facilitate student-centered discussions and guide students in constructing, critiquing, and revising data representations. For future research, this study highlights the value of combining quantitative outcomes with qualitative insights. Researchers could extend this work by exploring the long-term effects of problem-posing activities on different components of statistical literacy, such as data interpretation or informal inference. Comparative studies across different grade levels or educational settings may also help determine the generalizability of the current findings. Finally, further investigation into students’ cognitive and metacognitive processes during problem construction and graph interpretation could offer richer explanations for the effectiveness of this instructional approach. 60 Enhancing Statistical Literacy in Data Representation: The Impact of Problem-Posing Intervention

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: problem posing students activities literacy teachers representation student training help different statistical interpretation based several
• Navigating challenges in teaching the tower problem (2026) · LUMAT International Journal on Math Science and Technology Education · doi

  In conclusion, this study highlights the challenges of navigating mathematics problem- solving instruction for pre-service teachers in teacher education. While the problems such as the Tower Problem are often seen as highly relevant to pupils, pre-service primary teachers may find themselves mimicking the solutions provided by their university in- structors instead of engaging in authentic problem-solving processes. As Bousseau (1997) shows, if the solution of a problem relies too heavily on the educator, genuine mathemat- ical learning cannot occur, and the findings of this study serve as a crucial reminder of the need to strike a balance in teaching approaches, ensuring that students focus on develop- ing their problem-solving skills rather than merely relying on direct formulas as the pri- mary knowledge. Thus, this study underscores implications for teacher education, partic- ularly in comprehending pre-service teachers’ perspectives as learners. The reliance on predetermined solutions highlights the need for ongoing dialogue concerning essential mathematical knowledge (Ambrose, 2004; Weber et al., 2023). Collaborative efforts LUMAT Vol 14 No 1 (2026), 4. https://doi.org/10.31129/LUMAT.14.1.2800  Nyman (2026) 19/22 between mathematicians and educators are crucial (Leikin, Zazkis, & Meller, 2017; Livy, Herbert, & Vale, 2018) and should prioritize the alignment of problem selection to en- hance the relevance of content in teacher education. While prior research indicates that problems deemed relevant for specific school grades can also serve as valuable resources in teacher education (e.g., Weber et al., 2023), thereby contributing to pre-service teachers’ understanding of mathematics (Livy, Herbert, & Vale, 2018), the findings of this study raise concerns. Specifically, promoting such problems may inadvertently reinforce an emphasis on instrumental learning, potentially detracting from deeper conceptual understanding. To address these challenges, further studies can go deeper into the learning opportunities presented through problem-solving for pre-service teachers. Research can further explore innovative approaches that encourage critical thinking and foster a more profound engagement with mathematical concepts. Investigating the interplay between problem relevance and pedagogical strategies will be essential for developing frameworks that support meaningful learning experiences. Further, longitudinal studies could provide insights into how pre-service teachers evolve in their understanding of mathematics over time, particularly in relation to their experiences with problem-solving in teacher education programs. Ultimat

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: problem service teachers solving teacher education learning mathematics problems understanding further highlights challenges relevant solutions
• Impact of Pre-Service Teacher Education Programme on Mathematics Student Teachers’ Teaching Practices during School Experiences (2024) · Education Sciences · cited 8× · doi

  While the study extensively revealed the impact of Pre-Service Teacher Education (PSTE) programs on the teaching practices of mathematics student teachers during their school experience activities, there is a scarcity of solid research to corroborate, refute, and/or provide solutions to the problems identified. As such, the study recommends more research in this area of study with an increased level of funding for implementing interventions and research. Additionally, given that the majority of mathematics student teachers face challenges in implementing differentiated instruction in their classroom practices during school experience, the study recommends adequate capacity building for student teachers in the implementation of differentiated instruction to ensure that this program adequately prepares mathematics teachers for the evolving demands of the educational landscape. Lastly, the study recommends that actors in pre-service teacher education (PSTE) programs should provide ongoing guidance and constructive feedback that can help student teachers overcome challenges and further refine their teaching practices, given that this support system plays a vital role in the success of the pre-service teacher education program and ultimately impacts the quality of mathematics instruction delivered at schools. Funding: This research received no funding. Institutional Review Board Statement: Ethical clearance was sorted and obtained from the University of Fort Hare, South Africa (Reference Number: MNC021SOLA01; Approval Date:13 November 2019). Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 762 13 of 14 Data Availability Statement: Data are contained within the article, and more are available upon request. Conflicts of Interest: The author declares no conflicts of interest.

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: teachers mathematics student service teacher education practices recommends funding instruction statement pste programs teaching school
• Meaningful Learning in Finnish Mathematics Teaching Online In-Service Training: Two Denotations (2026) · International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education · doi

  To make use of the theoretical insight highlighted in the study, we propose recom- mendations for online in-service teacher training in the field of mathematics and mathematics education. Satisfaction with learning: When assessing satisfaction with learning, participants focus on teaching coherence and the effectiveness of instructors. This suggests that participants evaluate their learning in relation to what the facilitator does. However, to support learning, it would be worthwhile to shift focus to learners’ own actions for learning, that is, what learners, rather than what facilitators do. Therefore, the role of tasks encouraging reflection are crucial. Professional and goal orientation in learning: When assessing in-service training, content and knowledge acquisition are in the focus of participants. While these are important, facilitators may wish to emphasise awareness of the process of reaching learning goals. The model of facilitating community of practice and including practical develop- ment of one’s own teaching through an experiment based on mathematical/math- ematics didactics content appears to be beneficial in MOOC-based in-service training for teachers of mathematics. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of MA Ellinor Elmvik and MA Siri Sundlöf. Funding Open Access funding provided by University of Helsinki (including Helsinki University Central Hospital). The project was funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education during 2018-2021. Data Availability Anonymised data can be shared with other researchers and journal editors upon request and for purposes of verifying results. Code Availability N/A.

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: learning service training mathematics participants focus education satisfaction assessing teaching learners facilitators content including based

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