Is there a generic profile of trainee primary school teachers who choose to specialise in mathematics?

Abstract

This study is an evaluation of learning style profiles and multiple intelligence domains of level seven trainee primary school teachers who chose to specialise in mathematics at the university where the research took place. Whilst this study focusses on mathematics specialists studying at post graduate level the information could be adapted to meet the needs of other subject specialists and undergraduates, dependent on their profiles. The valuable information gathered from 53 respondents training at a university that has been at the forefront of teacher education for 130 years highlights interesting relationships between the two sets of results and analyses by both gender and the specialism route that the students opted to follow. The study offers suggestions for training establishments to consider when educating the primary school mathematics teachers of the future, potentially leading to an impact on learning outcomes and student satisfaction.