Utilizing Trust to Examine Pre-Service Teachers’ Challenges When Learning to Implement Mathematics Tasks

Implementing challenging mathematics tasks in elementary classrooms is a foundational teaching practice that is known to be difficult for teachers. Yet, little is known about the challenges pre-service teachers (PSTs) experience as they work to develop this practice. Additionally, the importance of trusting relationships in schools is well established, though research has not examined how issues of trust might influence PSTs’ development of specific pedagogical practices. This cross-institutional study examined written reflections highlighting challenges experienced by 77 PSTs from seven teacher preparation programs. Findings elucidate six distinct challenges, three of which align with necessary features of trusting relationships (teacher control with vulnerability, perceptions of student ability with competence, and concerns about student feelings/experiences with benevolence). Based on these findings, we offer recommendations for mathematics teacher educators to consider as they prepare PSTs to implement challenging tasks, including ways to support PSTs’ vulnerability, perceptions of students’ competence, and benevolence during methods courses and field placements.