Exploring Mathematics Vocabulary Alignment in a Future Elementary Teacher’s Trajectory: A Case Study

This qualitative case study explored an elementary foundations mathematics course and the mathematics vocabulary elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs) encounter at various stages in their preparation as mediated by curriculum, standards, and assessment materials. Guided by the theoretical lens of a constructivism-informed conceptual framework, text analyses indicated varying degrees of alignment of mathematics vocabulary when comparing across the materials gathered from different points in PSTs’ preparation and future careers as educators. Further investigation indicated that considering alignment as a process provided possible opportunities for continued curricular improvement related to promoting mathematics vocabulary for elementary PSTs.