Encouraging Research Orientation in the Education of Students – Future Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

In this paper, we address the issue of developing a research orientation among third-year students at the Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, in the Mathematics Teacher Module. We will provide a detailed account of the process and results of a project that emerged from collaboration among professors from different scientific disciplines at the Faculty of Science in Kragujevac. Within this project, the cooperation between this higher education institution and the Kragujevac School Administration of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia and the First Grammar School of Kragujevac was intensified. The project was implemented during the summer semester of the 2022/23 academic year, involving a sample of 12 students. These students conducted mini-research projects on topics covered in the School Pedagogy course during their internships at the First Grammar School of Kragujevac as part of the Professional Practice 2 course. The students shared their findings, both in written and oral form, with their colleagues and course teachers at the Faculty of Science. Selected topics were subsequently presented to several teachers (mostly mathematics teachers) employed in the Šumadija District.