Dress like a winner: mathematical investigations in a design workshop in an early childhood education teacher education programme

ABSTRACT

This article investigates alternative ways doing of mathematics in an Early Childhood Education Teacher Programme using aesthetic forms of expression, the body and reflections on ethics, gender and responsibilities in the transition from student teacher at university to a qualified preschool teacher of children aged 4–5 years. The purpose of the article is to explore an interdisciplinary mathematics workshop in which student teachers investigate mathematics with body- and hands-on crafting to better understand how young children experience learning situations. The research design draws on feminist activist social science research, including in-making and crafty research methods. Theoretically and methodologically, inspiration is drawn from relational materialism and Donna Haraway’s scientific engagement with ‘speculative fabulations’ and Anna L. Tsing’s development of ‘arts of noticing’. The study shows that learning mathematics through the body, concrete materials, scientific concepts and fiction can be helpful in the transition from student teacher to preschool teacher.

KEYWORDS:

• Mathematics
• teacher education
• preschool
• gender
• the body

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the student teachers for taking part in this experimentation with paper, Nobel laureate, staplers, tape, emotions, documentations, reflections and make important contributions to this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anna Palmer

Anna Palmer is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education and Care at the Department of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University. Anna’s research interest concerns co-productive and creative methodologies related to feminist new materialist thinking and posthumanism, in practice-oriented engagements with teachers, student teachers in ECE and children in the preschool.

Teresa Elkin Postila

Teresa Elkin Postila is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Care at the Department of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University. Teresa’s research interest involves environmental issues and climate change related to feminist posthumanist new materialist theory and methodology. Teresa currently teaches courses related to Natural Sciences and Sustainability, Mathematics and Technology in the teacher programmes.