Pre- and In-Service Teachers Attribution Beliefs for Students’ Success and Struggle in Mathematics: First Insights

This study investigates the attributional beliefs of pre-service and in-service elementary and middle school mathematics teachers regarding students' success and struggles in mathematics. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach, interviews were conducted with 28 in-service and pre-service teachers to explore their beliefs. Data were analyzed through content analysis, categorizing attributions into four main types: genetic, social, personal, and educational. The findings reveal that participants addressed both success and struggle in their responses, underscoring the complex interplay of factors that influence students' mathematical outcomes. Pre-service teachers mentioned a broad range of attributions, including personal, social, and educational factors. On the other hand, in-service teachers more frequently emphasized personal and genetic attributions, highlighting interest and innate ability as significant factors. While social and educational attributions, including family support and teacher quality, were discussed, they were less frequently highlighted by in-service teachers. This study highlights the importance of understanding teachers' beliefs, as these beliefs have the potential to shape instructional decisions and expectations. The findings suggest that future research should involve a larger sample size and analyze more comprehensive data from interviews to provide deeper insights into these attributional beliefs.