The success rates in mathematics education in Canada has been the cause of concern and some
controversy. Although Canada has recently scored relatively high on the mathematics section on
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a disproportionately low number of
Canadian students go on to enroll in math programs in post-secondary education. The aim of
this study was to try to determine whether or not there is a relationship between the experiences
elementary math teachers had with math when they were students, and the way they teach math
in their classrooms. In order to achieve this overall objective, the following research questions
framed this study: (1) how does a teacher’s personal experience with math (as a student/in life)
contribute to his/her instructional practices, and (2) what training/education/experiences lead to a
successful math teacher? ...
