Analysis of topics in elementary pre-service teachers' writings on constructivist mathematics lessons using topic modeling

초록

This study explores the professional development of pre-service mathematics teachers by analyzing their written work, with a focus on how their perspectives evolved over the course of a semester. Writing plays a critical role in mathematics education, fostering reflective practice, improving communication, and deepening conceptual understanding. Using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), a topic modeling technique, this research examined a collection of writings from pre-service teachers enrolled in a constructivist focused mathematics education course. The analysis identified key topics that emerged, changes in the prominence of these topics over time, and unique characteristics distinguishing the writing of pre-service mathematics teachers from their peers in other disciplines. The findings revealed that writing effectively captured the shifting priorities of pre-service teachers, such as their emphasis on teacher roles and learner-centered instruction. Variability in topic focus throughout the semester may reflect the influence of a changing educational context, particularly in remote or hybrid learning settings. These dynamic shifts underscore the interplay between the pre-service teachers' growing understanding and their evolving learning environments. This study contributes to the expanding literature on pre-service teacher development by demonstrating how machine learning techniques can complement traditional qualitative methods, offering deeper insights into their professional growth. The results suggest that integrating writing analysis into teacher education programs can enhance support for reflective practice and adaptive teaching strategies.

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