Bridging a gap between theory and practice in mathematics teacher education

Bridging the dichotomy of theory and practices has long been a key issue of the research in teacher education both in general and within mathematics education (Østergaard, 2016). In the15th ICMI Study (Even & Ball, 2009) there is brief discussion of this dichotomy in (Ponte et al, 2009) but mainly the perspective is either on students learning from practice or students learning in an educational programme, which we see as an example of the dichotomy between theory and practices often seen in research of mathematics teacher education. In studies, focusing on bridging the gap often it is seen being on students reflecting on their own practice (Rasmussen, 2016) or on students own understanding of - or views on the gap between theory and practice (Østergaard 2016). One study is found to address student development both in an educational context (method course) as well as in a practices context (weekly practicum) focusing on the use of both contexts to further the students’ development (Bahr, Monroe & Eggett, 2013). The study showed that students adapted views according with the reform movement central to the method course.