Incorporating problem-based learning in a secondary school mathematics preservice teacher education course

Abstract Preservice secondary school mathematics teacher education must incorporate large amounts of material within a limited timeframe, of mathematics curricula, best teaching practices, professional learning strategies, and more. Mathematics education instructors using a mixed instruction course incorporating an initial phase of transmission and transactional teaching practices followed by a phase of problem-based learning instruction was investigated as a professional learning model for preservice teachers. This was a sequential four-phase mixed methods study. Over the phases, data was gathered via a questionnaire administered to forty-seven secondary school mathematics preservice teachers. Significant and important changes in preservice teacher beliefs and orientations were observed.