The mathematical knowledge of preschool practitioners: Evidence from the field

This paper describes some key findings from the analysis of video data comprising part of the project 'Mathematical thinking of preschool children in rural and regional Australia: Research and practice'. The study used video and still photography to capture evidence of the mathematical experiences of young children reported by early childhood practitioners from two different preschool environments. The subcategories of subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge were used to summarise and interpret the learning experiences revealed in specific segments of the video recordings, photographs and associated commentary from practitioners. The findings provide insight not only into teacher knowledge of mathematics subject matter and pedagogy, but into the teaching practices and learning environments designed by early childhood practitioners intended to foster young children's mathematical learning.