Disorienting dilemmas and mathematical reasoning: Exploring transformative learning in preservice teacher education
Abstract
Preservice elementary teachers often face challenges in solving arithmetic word problems, revealing gaps in conceptual understanding and reliance on procedural methods. This study examines how preservice teachers’ reasoning relates to the emergence of disorienting dilemmas in written solutions to arithmetic word problems. By applying an analytical model that integrates reasoning attributes with the concepts of dilemmas and disorienting dilemmas, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how cognitive and reflective processes are manifested in written mathematical work. Results from this study makes four key contributions: theoretically, by integrating disorienting dilemmas with a mathematics reasoning framework; empirically, by showing how specific reasoning attributes signal disorienting dilemmas; methodologically, by presenting a replicable four-step analysis model; and practically, by offering guidance for designing problems that support reflection and transformative learning in teacher education.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Constanta Olteanu
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