Professional orientation and task orientation of Spanish prospective secondary school mathematics teachers
María Soledad Salomón-Plata 1 , José Manuel Diego-Mantecón 2 * , José María Chamoso-Sánchez 1 , María Mercedes Rodríguez-Sánchez 1
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1 Departamento de Didáctica de las Matemáticas y las Ciencias Experimentales, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, SPAIN2 Departamento de Matemáticas, Estadística y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, SPAIN* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examines how 98 prospective secondary mathematics teachers (PTs) from five Spanish universities conceptualize professional orientation (PO) and task orientation (TO), and the extent to which both domains are integrated in their reflections after completing a one-year teacher education program. Using a qualitative approach, the study analyzed PTs’ written reflections on mathematical and pedagogical knowledge and how it is applied in classroom practice for effective mathematics teaching. Results show a predominance of PO over TO. Key categories such as curriculum interpretation, specialized mathematical knowledge, collaborative participation, and challenging tasks appeared less frequently. Although some PTs integrated PO and TO categories, they emphasized what mathematics teachers should know more than how this knowledge is translated into classroom practice. The findings highlight the need to strengthen opportunities within initial teacher education to connect mathematical and pedagogical knowledge with classroom practice, particularly through practice-based experiences.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 22, Issue 10, October 2026, Article No: em2923

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19395

Publication date: 25 Sep 2026

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Article Downloads: 7

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