Meta Discussion Pedagogical Model to foster Mathematics Teacher’s professional development in Numerical Computations

In this contribution we present an experimental research undertaken with Pre- Service Primary Teachers (PSTs). The aim of this study is to foster the Mathematical Discussion (MD) theoretical framework’s learning, in order to give PSTs the opportunity to learn in and from their practice. The MD combined with the Meta Discussion on a Pedagogical model (MDPm), a new theoretical construct that we identified, allow prospective teachers, on the one hand to be introduced to the pedagogical model itself and, on the other hand, to develop in and from practice both theoretical knowledge and practical experience of this model. This means that the MD becomes at the same time the subject of the lecture and the methodology used during the lecture. This new theoretical approach combines Shulman’s research about the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Ball’s Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) and further research on what is relevant to learn in and from practice and how this practice can be used for teachers’ learning. The experimental research has two different goals: the construction of the MD’s characteristics from a theoretical point of view and the way to manage MD in the future professional practice. The analysis of results highlight that the PSTs became aware of how MD works and of its value. In and from their own practice they learned how to manage MD in class.