Vol. 34 No. 1 (2026): Online First
Articles

Effective school mathematics tasks: Perspectives of student teachers

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  • Julie Hamilton,
  • Dr Barry Doherty,
  • Gerry Trainor
Julie Hamilton
St Mary's University College
Dr Barry Doherty
St Mary's University College
Gerry Trainor
St Mary's University College

Published 2026-05-21

Keywords

  • mathematics tasks,
  • student teachers,
  • Initial Teacher Education

Copyright (c) 2026 Julie Hamilton, Dr Barry Doherty, Gerry Trainor

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study investigated the features that primary and post-primary student teachers (STs) consider important in mathematics classroom tasks. Quantitative data revealed that STs generally valued tasks which supported higher order thinking, could be easily differentiated, and were relevant to the curriculum. Aesthetics, use of technology and ease of preparation were considered less important. Qualitative data explored STs’ reasons for these choices and for any changes which occurred over the course of their Initial Teacher Education (ITE). STs expressed growing understanding of the importance of differentiation, pupil engagement and the role of the teacher. Findings underscored the influence of school placements in shaping STs’ pedagogical beliefs. Implications point to the role of ITE courses in developing STs’ professional judgement.

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