Using Narratives as Innovative Tools in Mathematics Education Course in Finnish Teacher Education

In Finland the goal of elementary teacher program is to produce innovative, reflective and collaborative-oriented teachers who can combine knowledge of educational science with knowledge of subject pedagogy, e.g. mathematical pedagogy. In this paper we are presenting the use of narratives as tools in mathematics education course as one of the innovations in Finnish teacher education. Narratives are increasingly used as a methodological approach in research of educational experience, but also as pedagogical tools for facilitating students’ views. Yet, in Slovenia, use of narratives has been neglected. Here we will describe two ways to reduce negative emotions towards mathematics by handling elementary pre-service teachers’ memories from their years at school. The ways are 1) autobiographical, narrative interview and 2) ‘narrative rehabilitation’. Through Ulla’s mathematical biography we present how she handles her school time experiences and emotions and how the use of narrative rehabilitation during the mathematics education course influenced her views of mathematics. We conclude that emphasis in mathematics courses should not only be on future teachers’ professional knowledge, but also on their personal beliefs and experiences. Therefore, narratives are one possible tool to reach this objective.