Adapting Mathematics Curriculum-Making: Lessons Learned From/With Elementary Preservice Teachers for Curriculum Research - A journal of educational research and practice 2024 Vol. 33 (2) 8-31

Oct 15, 2026

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This paper examines how mathematics education researchers can learn from preservice teachers by treating curriculum-making and research design as parallel, connected processes. The pandemic shaped learning for PSTs and created obstacles for studying their pedagogical work. Findings from a multiple case study show how Year 1 and Year 2 PSTs reimagined intended mathematics lessons to address remote learning demands. Complexity thinking frames changes that increase responsiveness and adaptability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Current Study

Pandemic Context

Adapting Mathematics Curriculum-Making: Lessons Learned From/With Elementary Preservice Teachers for Curriculum Research A journal of educational research and practice 2024 Vol. 33 (2) 8−31 [https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked](https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked) Evan Throop-Robinson1* , Lori McKee2 1 Faculty of Education, St. Francis Xavier University, 2 Faculty of Education, University of Saskatchewan Abstract This paper offers insights into how mathematics education researchers can learn from preservice teachers (PSTs) by building upon parallels between adapting curriculum-making and designing research. The pandemic created learning opportunities for PSTs to anticipate mathematics curriculum anew and obstacles for researchers to study their pedagogical processes. A multiple case study reveals how PSTs in Year 1 and Year 2 of a Bachelor of Education program reimagined their intended mathematics curriculum to meet the demands of the evolving pandemic context. Viewed through the lens of complexity thinking and conceptions of currere and curriculum-making, PSTs’ lesson redesigns include new contexts for teaching and learning (e.g. , home environment , parental/guardian involvement, materials) that illuminate how curriculum researchers might become more tentative, responsive, and adaptable to unforeseen circumstances. Keywords: Curriculum-making, teacher-intended curriculum, preservice teacher education, mathematics education * [erobinso@stfx.ca](erobinso@stfx.ca) Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic led to school closures and necessitated that preservice teachers (PSTs) adapt their practicum work. Instead of in-person teaching opportunities, PSTs revised their lessons for at-home learning. This presented a dilemma for PSTs as their previous experiences with mathematics education emphasized collaborative problem solving and hands-on learning approaches, which were not always viable in the new context. Complexities emerged for PSTs in supporting students facing learning challenges amidst the stress on mental well-being and personal growth brought about by isolation (McKee et al. , 2023) . The pandemic’s impact on under-resourced families (Armitage & Nellums, 2020) and historically excluded communities underscored the importance of examining issues of equity alongside the shift to designing curriculum for remote learning. At-home learning also raised awareness of the disproportionate access to resources and service across rural communities (McKee et al. , 2022) . Prepared mathematics curriculum materials, distributed across the provinces, posed challenges for parents and guardians now isolated at home with their children and without teacher support. As teacher educators, we observed PSTs grappling with changes to personal and professional arrangements adding to pressures on their own mental health and professional growth. In our study, we explored how PSTs engaged with these dilemmas, how they sought to improve inclusive practices, and how they pursued avenues to extend innovative approaches to mathematics curriculum design that could support and nurture students’ well-being. Current Study As a result of the context described above, PSTs faced the challenge of anticipating 1 mathematics lessons for learning at home. This experience exposed dynamics of the teacherintended curriculum (Remillard & Heck, 2014) : meaning teachers’ preparations, decision, and actions for enacting curriculum with learners, set in motion under unprecedented circumstances, in turn raised questions for curriculum researchers. Specifically, we wondered: In what ways did the teacher-intended curriculum change in this new context? The entangling of teaching and research for PSTs, teacher educators, and curriculum researchers also created challenges in supporting and documenting PSTs’ curriculum design for this changing context. Noticing parallels between pedagogical design and research design, we asked: What can resea

FAQs

How does the paper connect curriculum-making with research design for mathematics education?

It treats adapting curriculum-making as analogous to designing research, highlighting parallels between how PSTs build lessons and how researchers study pedagogical processes.

What did the study reveal about preservice teachers’ curriculum changes during the pandemic?

Year 1 and Year 2 PSTs reimagined intended mathematics curriculum to meet evolving remote-learning demands, including shifting lesson redesigns toward home-based teaching contexts.

Why does the paper use complexity thinking to analyze the pandemic context?

Complexity thinking helps explain how learning systems emerge and co-evolve under changing constraints, including internal diversity and redundancy across PSTs, students, and families.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Blitz