Abstract
Teachers' beliefs about mathematics can play a role in their teaching effectiveness (Bandura, 1993). Negative attitudes toward math (e.g., math anxiety) or low self-efficacy beliefs for teaching math can act as barriers to the teaching process, impacting the achievement and math beliefs of students (Beilock, Gunderson, Ramirez, & Levine, 2010; Pajares, 1992). The current exploratory study aimed to understand whether teacher education could mitigate negative attitudes or beliefs about math and about teaching math among college students preparing to become teachers. Qualitative data analysis revealed that students enrolled in an instructional math course reported initial concerns about their math ability. Doubts in ability were minimized as the course progressed. Many students attributed their change in beliefs to specific elements of the instructional math course. Findings present evidence for improving beliefs about math and self-efficacy for teaching math and raise important implications for teacher education programs.