Preservice Teachers' Implementation of Modeling Through Textbook Task Analysis and Modification: Recognizing and Overcoming of Institutional Constraints

The ecological perspective views preparing mathematics for teaching not merely as a one-sided adaptation of knowledge and processes to a given didactic environment but as a reciprocal modification of both the knowledge and its environment, akin to the role of an ecosystem engineer. Grounded in this perspective, we designed and implemented teaching and learning activities to enhance preservice teachers' competency in teaching mathematical modeling while addressing institutional constraints such as applicationism, monumentalism, protectionism, and individualism, as identified by Barquero et al. (2013). A thematic analysis of preservice teachers' reflective journal responses revealed how these institutional constraints manifested as specific expectations or norms regarding mathematical tasks and teaching and learning practices. Furthermore, we examined which aspects of these institutional constraints preservice teachers were able to overcome and which remained challenging when modifying and implementing textbook tasks.