Longitudinal changes in how pre-service and novice in-service teachers notice critical events: the case of Alma

Teacher noticing—i.e., attending to and interpreting—students’ mathematical thinking is a predominant framework in preparation programs for pre-service mathematics teachers, based on the assumption that they should learn to notice early in their training to acquire the expertise needed in their professional lives. Most research on this topic focuses either on pre-service teachers or on novice in-service teachers, whereas very few studies have explored longitudinal changes in how pre-service and novice in-service teachers notice critical events. Such an exploration can shed light on new complexities in teacher noticing to facilitate improvements in teacher preparation programs. This research explores how pre-service and novice in-service teachers notice critical events by examining the case of one teacher—Alma. The data included critical events Alma attended to and interpreted during her teacher preparation (four events) and her first year of teaching (three events). The data analysis was based on a three-axis model for characterizing events from different perspectives (Rotem & Ayalon, 2022): participants (students, teacher, teacher and students); content (mathematics, pedagogy, both); and learning and teaching dimensions (cognitive, affective, and social). The results point to changes in Alma’s noticing. As a pre-service teacher, Alma paid attention to multiple aspects, whereas as a novice teacher, she selected events that focused on specific characteristics: students’ mathematics, her own teaching strategies, and the social dimension inherent in the critical event. Her interpretation focus shifted from the affective dimension to the dimension of her own teaching strategies and the social dimension. These changes provide insights into the process of becoming a teacher. Limitations and further research directions are discussed.