Primary teachers' perceptions of their mathematical knowledge for teaching and the effects of policy on their mathematics teaching

Abstract

The mathematical knowledge for primary teachers has been guided by policy since the National Strategies Programme was introduced in 1999. Research regarding the National Strategies focussed on the outcomes of the policy rather than in terms of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT). Teachers respond to policy in a variety of ways according to how they make sense of it within their current practice. This paper focusses on teachers’ perceptions of the effect of their policy enactments on their MKT and vice versa. A qualitative methodology included semi-structured interviews in order to explore the perceptions of thirteen primary teachers from five schools in a borough of London. Tension occurred when teachers considered that policy superseded their MKT or they perceived that they needed guidance to teach the new National Curriculum. There are implications for teachers who associate MKT with policy, which is subject to change and therefore temporal in nature.