Pre-service primary teachers’ shame experiences during their schooling time: characteristics and effects on their subject-choices at university

• Published in: Educational studies in mathematics Vol. 110; no. 3; pp. 435 - 455
• Main Authors: Jenßen, Lars, Möller, Regina, Eilerts, Katja, Roesken-Winter, Bettina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Colleges & universities; Competition; Decision Making; Education; Educational aspects; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary Schools; Emotional Response; Emotions; Games; Mathematical analysis; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Teachers; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Prior Learning; Psychological aspects; Psychological Patterns; Quantitative analysis; Shame; Social aspects; Student teachers; Study and teaching; Teachers; Germany; Teacher education; Mathematics; Shame; Pre-service primary teachers
• ISSN: 0013-1954; 1573-0816
• DOI: 10.1007/s10649-021-10141-1

Emotions play an essential role in pre-service teachers’ competence development, particularly in mathematics. However, the emotion of shame in mathematics has been largely neglected so far. This article deals with shameful experiences of pre-service primary school teachers during their mathematical education at school and the various effects of shame on their decision to study mathematics as a subject at university. The research consists of a qualitative and a quantitative study with 311 prospective primary school teachers who responded to a survey about their experiences of shame in mathematics at school when they were students. Results of the qualitative study emphasize the different experiences in mathematics during the school years and reveal the characteristics of these situations, for example, social exposure or competition games. In the quantitative study, pre-service primary teachers’ subject choice was analyzed in relation to their experienced shame in mathematics at school. Results reveal that shame experienced at school has effects on the initial choice in favor of mathematics at university. Implications for primary teacher education are finally discussed.