The Role of Teacher Knowledge in Fostering Student Fulfillment of Values Crucial for Mathematical Wellbeing

Following on from a prior mapping of elementary school students’ mathematical wellbeing (MWB) in Chengdu, China, an intervention program was trialled in two Grade Three classrooms based on grouping students according to unfulfilled values. The program utilised customised pedagogical experiences for each group with the aim to foster value fulfilment, hopefully leading to enhanced wellbeing in mathematics learning. Questionnaire, interview and observation data were collected from eight students who were initially experiencing negative MWB. After a three-week intervention, positive improvements were observed. While the focus of this paper is not on explicitly investigating MWB change, the paper reports on how the teacher drew on professional cognitive and affective knowledge and expertise to foster the fulfillment of values, and thus student MWB improvement.