Characterisation of Mathematics Teacher Educators’ Knowledge in Terms of Teachers’ Professional Potential and Challenging Content for Mathematics Teachers

Mathematics teacher educator (MTE) is a complex profession with unique goals and actions. While the realisation and advancement of students’ mathematical potential is a major goal of mathematics education, the major goal of MTEs is promoting mathematics teachers’ (MTs’) professional potential. Here, I introduce the construct of MTs’ professional potential, which presumes MTs’ knowledge of students’ mathematical potential, and argue that both potentials are essential components of MTEs’ knowledge. Furthermore, since mathematical challenge is a core component of the teaching and learning of mathematics, MTs have to be capable of managing challenging mathematical activities with their students. Similarly, MTEs have to be capable of creating challenging content suitable for MTs. This is a particularly complex aspect of MTEs’ work since challenging content for teachers integrates mathematical, psychological and didactical components. I outline how factors of varying mathematical challenge for students can frame different types of challenging content for MTs. Finally, I argue that creativity-directed mathematical activities are ultimately challenging for students and teachers alike and thus are beneficial in the work of MTEs.