Early childhood educators' concerns regarding the teaching of mathematics

Abstract

This study investigates the main concerns Early Childhood Educators are faced with in their everyday teaching of mathematics. All the Year 1, 2 and 3 teachers in the Maltese state primary sector were given a questionnaire designed by the researchers themselves. The questionnaire consisted of an introductory set of 4 questions regarding personal data, 29 questions dealing with issues found in the new National Minimum Curriculum and a final section including general questions about the everyday teaching of mathematics. The study revealed that teachers' main concerns are related to the following areas: class size, extent of syllabus, language used during mathematics lessons, resources, group work and computer use.