• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts

The Educators Room logo

  • Start Here
    • Impact Statements: Teacher Expertise
    • Newsletter
  • Browse Topics
    • Content Strategies
      • Literacy
      • Mathematics
      • Social Studies
      • Educational Technology
      • ELL & ESOL
      • Fine Arts
      • Special Education
      • Popular Topics
        • Teacher Self-Care
        • Instructional Coach Files
        • Common Core
        • The Traveling Teacher
        • The Unemployed Teacher
        • The New Teacher Chronicles
        • Book Review
        • Grade Levels
          • Elementary (K-5)
          • Middle (6-8)
          • Adult
          • New Teacher Bootcamp
          • Hot Button Topics
            • Menu Item
              • Principals' Corner
              • Charter Schools
              • Confessions of a Teacher
              • Interviews
              • The State of Education
              • Stellar Educator of the Week
            • Menu
              • How to Fix Education
              • Featured
              • Ask a Teacher
              • Teacher Branding
              • Current Events
  • Podcasts
  • Courses
    • Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout- An 8 Week Course
    • Becoming An Educational Consultant
    • Teacher Branding 101:Teachers are The Experts
    • The Learning Academy
    • Books
    • Shirts
  • Education in Atlanta
  • Teacher Self-Care
  • The Coach's Academy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts
×

March 28, 2014 Instruction & Curriculum

Mathematics Education - Pedagogy vs Content

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Jackie Parrish

I am a retired teacher who taught in middle school for 30 years. I have certifications in elementary education, reading, and math. I have spent most of my career teaching math to 7th and 8th graders in an urban setting. I have also presented staff development within my school and within my district. Although I am now retired I am still passionate about teaching math in ways that engage all students.
  • Schools Are Closed, But Educational Inequality Remains - May 8, 2020
  • Coronavirus: The Impact of School Closures - March 24, 2020
  • Standardized Testing's Negative Affect on Math Education - February 11, 2020
  • What Becoming a Math Teacher Leader Taught Me - November 14, 2019
  • Trauma in Schools – Teachers Are Asked to Handle Too Much - October 16, 2019
  • Teaching is Difficult When Administrative Support is Lacking - October 1, 2019
  • Teachers - Your Impact on Students is Greater Than You Know! - July 7, 2019
  • Columbine Shooting 20 Years Later – Our Children Are Still Dying - June 11, 2019
  • Empathy: The Key to Better Behavior in the Classroom - May 2, 2019
  • Mathematical Conversations Aid Problem Solving - April 17, 2017

The issue of which is more important: mathematical content knowledge or knowledge of educational pedagogy has been swirling around for some time. At the time that No Child Left Behind was instituted we heard political leaders voice the belief that anyone can teach. This mindset led to the belief that mathematical knowledge was far more important than pedagogy. For me the question is always – What is best for the students?

Let me disclose that I became a certified 7-12 mathematics teacher about 12 years into my teaching career. I held certifications in elementary education and as reading specialist, and found myself teaching mathematics to 7th and 8th graders. At that time, my K-8 certification allowed me to do this but I wanted to be better able to prepare my students for high school so I attended every mathematics workshop and program that was offered to me. This finally led me to go back to school and obtain my secondary mathematics certificate. My experience in evolving into a mathematics teacher is what I base the rest of this discussion on.

Having worked with teachers who held degrees in mathematics, as well as those who had degrees in education with mathematics certification, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. There is no question that every mathematics teacher must be strong in the individual math courses that he or she teaches. As in any other subject we must know more than our students.

2. If you are teaching higher level math (Calculus for example) or AP courses a degree in mathematics might be more beneficial than your knowledge of pedagogy.

3. Teachers with degrees in mathematics who teach often want to teach only the higher level math classes with the brightest students. Who then is left to teach the average math student?

4. Teaching does not pay well, so many who hold degrees in mathematics will never earn as much teaching as they could in the private sector. Often, those with a strong math background leave teaching for more lucrative positions. This often leaves schools with a large number of inexperienced teachers in math classrooms.

5. Without pedagogical knowledge it is very difficult to explain mathematical concepts to the average math student or one who does not understand the purpose of learning mathematical concepts they believe they will never need in the real world.

In my opinion, both mathematics content and pedagogy are needed to be a good math teacher, but I would tip the scale just slightly toward pedagogy if you are teaching students with poor math skills or those who will not use higher level math in their future careers. Professors of mathematics education would most likely say it is more important to have a teacher who can use pedagogy to explain math concepts than to have one who has a degree in mathematics. If you interview students in mathematics classes you will be told by the students that they want a math teacher who can clearly explain the concepts to them. Because my bottom line is always the students, I will leave you to ponder where you yourself stand.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related posts:

Interactive Student Notebooks - My Mathematical Lifesaver Default ThumbnailAddition and Subtraction of Fractions 5 Do's and Don'ts for Teaching Elementary Mathematics What is Complex Math Instruction?
« Revolutionary Thinking- Pay-Based Grading
You Can't Scare Me I'm a Teacher: The Truth About Lies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jamie Su says

    November 14, 2021 at 2:32 pm

    Hi,

    You have mentioned that without pedagogy, even those who are strong on their content can not explain a concept efficiently. In your years of teaching, what do you think is the best way to develop content pedagogy? Furthermore, what would you recommend for new teachers to try and implement so that their explanation can be more clear?

    Reply
    • Jackie Parrish says

      November 15, 2021 at 3:33 pm

      The math pedagogy has more to do with alternate presentations. For example- Many math teachers that I've done trainings for ask the question - Why can't the students just learn the formula and solve the problems. I remind them that not all brains function exactly the same way. Many students need hands on representations before they can transition to traditional solutions.

      One example that I can give you is for area of shapes like squares and triangles. Using pattern blocks students can make the transition from the area of the square to a triangle by placing two triangles on top of the square. This makes it easier for them to see why a triangle is half the area of a square. Understanding why helps remember how something works.

      Hope this helps!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

The Educator's Room was launched in 2012 to amplify the voice of educators. To date, we have over 45+ writers from around the world and boast over twelve million page views. Through articles, events, and social media we will advocate for honest dialogue with teachers about how to improve public education. This mission is especially important when reporting on education in our community; therefore, we commit our readers to integrity, accuracy, and independence in education reporting. To join our mailing list, click here.

What we do

At The Educator's Room, we focus on amplifying and honoring the voice of educators as experts in education. To date, we have over 40 staff writers/teachers from around the world.

Popular Posts

  • A Q&A with Baltimore Teachers Union President, Diamonté Brown
  • 6 Reasons to Use Read-Alouds Daily
  • The Secret Ingredients of Lesson Planning
  • The Exhaustion of Black Educators on Another "Day After"

Featured On

Buy Our Books/Courses

How to Leave Your Job in Education

Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout

Using Your Teacher Expertise to Become an Educational Consultant

Check out our books on teaching and learning!

The Learning Academy

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

 

Copyright © 2021 The Educator's Room.