Are Future Mathematics Teachers Ready for the Profession? A Pilot Study in the Spanish Framework

Prospective teachers' preparation throughout initial teacher education programmes is crucial in order to guarantee future teachers' readiness for the job. Initial teacher education programmes are expected to provide student teachers with the desired competences to build-up their professional identity as teachers. As part of a wider research, this paper presents the results of a pilot study with a double aim. First, to assess the quality of an instrument to analyse the extent to what initial teacher education programmes are successful in training prospective secondary mathematics teachers in view of a framework of professional teaching competences in Spain. As a consequence, to perform a preceding evaluation of initial teacher education programmes in mathematics. An online-based survey was conducted by 51 graduate students from initial teacher education programmes for future secondary mathematics teachers in Spain. Statistical analysis suggested weak levels of attainment in all assessed competences. The competence level was in all cases lower than the 80% of mastery level benchmark desired for a competence to be attained. The results of the pilot survey support the validity of the instrument in view of a coming study to be carried out on a larger scale. (C) 2016 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk