Pre-service primary teachers’ emotions: the math-redemption phenomenon

The relationship with mathematics of future primary teachers is very often built on negative experiences with mathematics as students and characterized by strong negative emotions towards mathematics. This phenomenon is alarming because of its consequences on teachers’ development and practice. Nevertheless, many future primary teachers reveal a desire for “redeeming” themselves from negative past experiences in order to become “good mathematics teachers”. In this perspective, we conducted a narrative study aimed at deepening the knowledge of this “math-redemption phenomenon”, and trying to identify its roots and features.