Secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions of their university preparation to become teachers

The generally accepted view of teacher preparation is that it inadequately prepares undergraduates for teaching. In this study, I use a phenomenological approach to analyze the perceptions of six early career secondary mathematics teachers regarding their formal preparation to become teachers. I introduce a conceptual framework of perceptions as beliefs, motivated by criticisms of prior beliefs research. The teachers' perceptions were that their beliefs about teaching directly influenced their engagement in preparation activities, which influenced the quality of their learning experiences. They also expressed a more positive view of their preparation than would have been expected from the limited available literature base, and proposed recommendations for improving teacher preparation programs.