This study explores how pre-service mathematics teachers build alternative model simulations of real-world scenarios. Inclusion in the formal structures for wealth generation and accumulation is a fervently debated issue in South Africa. Share owning in companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa is one of many wealth-building tools. Related discussions evolved on the spread of share ownership among black and white citizens. Two mathematically motivated positions were reported in a newspaper. In one of their mathematics courses, prospective mathematics teachers were presented with the article and asked to reflect on it with the prompt 'Which of these two methods for determining the "number of Black South Africans holding shares on the JSE" would your group support?' Audio- and video-recorded data were collected and subjected to thematic analysis. The themes that emerged from the analysis were economic empowerment, authority of research and trustworthiness of information. The discussions reflected on the complexities and rationalities involved in decision-making of mathematically driven opposing positions on issues of social importance. The mathematically derived results of such issues will eventually be resolved in the political field. The findings revealed that building of alternative mathematical models by pre-service mathematics teachers begins with an explicit problem setting, followed by the development of mathematical models that included real-world problems.Contribution: This article contributes to pre-service mathematics teacher education by exploring how such teachers deal with the issue of critical engagement of mathematically based arguments, highlighted in the Curriculum Assessment and Policy Standards (CAPS) document for school mathematics.

Belinda Cornelissen

Cyril M. Julie

Pythagoras

Pythagoras is a scholarly research journal that provides a forum for the presentation and critical discussion of current research and developments in mathematics education at both national and international level. Pythagoras publishes articles that significantly contribute to our understanding of mathematics teaching, learning and curriculum studies, including reports of research (experiments, case studies, surveys, philosophical and historical studies, etc.), critical analyses of school mathematics curricular and teacher development initiatives, literature reviews, theoretical analyses, exposition of mathematical thinking (mathematical practices) and commentaries on issues relating to the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels of education.

Pythagoras is a scholarly research journal that serves as a platform for presenting and critically discussing current research and developments in mathematics education at both national and international levels. Pythagoras publishes articles that significantly enhance our understanding of mathematics teaching, learning, and curriculum studies. This includes research reports (experiments, case studies, surveys, philosophical and historical studies, etc.), critical analyses of school mathematics curricula and teacher development initiatives, literature reviews, theoretical analyses, expositions of mathematical thinking (mathematical practices), and commentaries on issues related to the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels of education.

《Pythagoras》是一本学术研究期刊，旨在提供一个平台，以展示和深入讨论当前在数学教育领域的研究和发展，涵盖国内外的相关内容。《Pythagoras》发表的文章显著推动了我们对数学教学、学习和课程研究的理解，包括研究报告（实验、案例研究、调查、哲学和历史研究等）、对学校数学课程和教师发展计划的批判性分析、文献综述、理论分析、数学思维的阐述（数学实践）以及关于各级教育中数学教学与学习相关问题的评论。

Pre-service mathematics teachers’ perceptions based on two differing mathematically underpinned debates

ivySCI AI Smartly Parses PDF, Answers Researchers' Questions, and Helps You Understand Papers in Seconds

Journal Info

Category	Quartile
EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES	4