One of the key aims of the preparation of pre-service mathematics teachers at universities is to provide them with theoretical knowledge which is assumed to be useful and relevant for the teaching profession. In this context, mathematics education contents should be based on research, e.g., on empirical findings related to students’ construction of mathematical knowledge. Consequently, for pre-service teachers’ uptake of profession-related learning content in mathematics education, it can be assumed that their views related to mathematics education as a scientific discipline and its practice relevance plays an important role – a potentially complex role, as mathematics education is a highly interdisciplinary and multi-method science, which combines, among other, the side of research into the foundations of human learning in mathematics with the side of a science relevant for practice, e.g., in schools. However, despite such tensions between theory development and practice relevance, which might influence pre-service teachers’ views on mathematics education contents, empirical research on pre-service teachers’ views related to mathematics education as a scientific discipline is scarce. This study consequently focuses on this domain and explores the following research question: Which views do mathematics pre-service teachers hold about mathematics education as a scientific discipline and its relevance for practice?

The study uses innovative methods for exploring pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) views related to mathematics education as a scientific discipline: So-called vignettes, i.e., representations of practice contexts, were designed to elicit the PSTs’ considerations about mathematics education as a scientific discipline and its role for practice. Three different vignettes show dialogues about mathematics education among fictitious teachers (represented by cartoon characters) in the teachers’ room. The PSTs were asked to comment on these dialogues and on the possible views that the vignette teachers might hold. The study is based on answers from more than 35 PSTs who responded to the vignettes at the beginning of a seminar on scientific work in mathematics education, without having received prior formal instruction about mathematics education or the seminar topic. The PSTs were at the level of their masters’ degree studies, so that they can be assumed to have developed an idea of the discipline of mathematics education during their bachelor studies. The answers of the PSTs were coded in the framework of a criterion-based interpretative approach using content analysis.

The results indicate that a broad heterogeneity in the mathematics pre-service teachers’ views can be observed: The spectrum spans from views of non-relevance for the mathematics classroom to relatively reflected views on mathematics education as a scientific discipline and the ways how results from mathematics education can inform and interact with classroom practice.

Even if the findings have to be interpreted with care, given the non-representativeness of the data and their specific framing (e.g., through the possible influence of prior learning experiences of the pre-service teachers in their bachelor studies), the findings suggest, for instance, that relevance perceptions should receive increased attention as potentially meaningful impact factors on pre-service teachers’ learning in teacher education.

Keywords: Pre-service teachers&#039, views, vignette-based study, mathematics education.