Empowering Preservice PK-8 STEM Teachers to Empower Their Future Students

Program Abstract: Many preservice PK-8 STEM teachers (PTs) struggle with fraction concepts and tend to lack fraction number sense. In an effort to address this deficiency, we introduced and implemented fraction number talks to PTs in a mathematics content course designed for future PK-8 STEM teachers. Fraction number talks are short classroom conversations built around a problem or series of problems. This active learning approach allows students to think independently, share strategies, and compare strategies with their classmates. By surveying PTs at the beginning and end of the semester, we found that PTs have a greater sense of confidence in their fraction number sense after engaging with fraction number talks.