Connecting beliefs, identity, and attitudes to practice: a systematic review of pre-service mathematics teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33474/j-prima.v2i1.25367Keywords:
Attitude, Beliefs, Identity, Pre-service Mathematics TeacherAbstract
This systematic literature review aims to examine how beliefs, professional identity, and attitudes shape pre-service mathematics teachers' instructional practices and professional development. The study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature, which has largely focused on these affective components in isolation rather than exploring their interconnections. A systematic search was conducted in the SCOPUS database for the period 2015–2026 using the keywords "beliefs," "identity," and "attitudes." Following the PRISMA framework, 20 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized qualitatively. The findings reveal that constructivist and dynamic beliefs are stronger predictors of inquiry-oriented instructional practices than content knowledge, yet a persistent belief-practice gap remains. Professional identity is context-dependent, shaped by working communities, failure experiences, and sustained engagement, with resilient pre-service teachers redefining goals rather than allowing failure to define them. Mathematics anxiety emerges as the most dominant affective barrier, and reducing it can trigger a positive domino effect on enjoyment, self-concept, and teaching enjoyment. Importantly, beliefs, attitudes, and identity are deeply interconnected: beliefs mediate the relationship between knowledge and practice, and causal chains link positive attitudes toward mathematics to positive teaching identity. This review concludes that teacher education cannot address these constructs in isolation. Implications include prioritizing belief transformation alongside knowledge, providing transformative field experiences, explicitly addressing failure to build resilience, and adopting holistic approaches that integrate beliefs, attitudes, and identity simultaneously.
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