Positive and negative: an exploration of the impact of the personal dispositions of early years practitioners on their teaching mathematics to young children in childhoods today

One prospect facing early years practitioners is the possibility that if they have negative attitudes to mathematics, these may be communicated to and have a negative effect upon the learning of young children who are at a sensitive stage of their growth and development. This article reports on a study that explored the dispositions and perceptions of a small group of early years practitioners (students on a Foundation Degree in Early Years Care and Education working towards senior practitioner level) in respect of their own feelings towards mathematics and their perceptions of whether these affected their ability to teach children effectively. It examines the role of attitudes and dispositions in the teaching and learning of mathematics through a survey of the literature, and will briefly consider the role of subject knowledge in supporting effective learning and teaching. It will then consider the perceptions of the early years practitioners participating in the project in relation to these issues.