An Assessment Of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge And Opinions About Misconceptions


GÜVELİ E., BARAN BULUT D., GÜVELİ H.

International Conference on Mathematics and Mathematics Education (ICMME-2018), Ordu, Turkey, 27 - 29 June 2018, pp.516-517

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
  • City: Ordu
  • Country: Turkey
  • Page Numbers: pp.516-517
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Concept is a general and abstract term, which represents the common features of objects and phenomenon being interpreted in human’s mind [1, 2]. When concepts are not being able to be shaped enough in mind, when not associated with existing schemas and used apart from their scientific meanings, misconceptions emerge in individuals [3]. While interview, observations, open-ended and multiple choice tests are used in the studies that are conducted on misconceptions, it is also suggested to use achievement tests, worksheets, concept maps, diagnostic tree, structured grid, and concept cartoons. It is seen that the methods which are mostly used in order to eliminate the misconceptions are conceptual change texts, prediction-observationexplanation (POE) strategy, conceptual analysis, conceptual network, worksheets, drama, analogy, learning journals, and use of technology [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. This study aims at evaluating the pre-service mathematics teachers’ knowledge and opinions on misconceptions in secondary school mathematics. By knowing the pre-service teachers’ knowledge and opinions on misconceptions in secondary school mathematics, “Misconceptions in Mathematics” lesson, which is taught in university, will take on an efficient dimension. In this study, 66 pre-service mathematics eachers were administered an achievement test and an assessment survey which include open–ended questions before and after the “Misconceptions in Mathematics” lesson. The results of the achievement test that was administered to pre-service teachers was categorised as “true, partly true, false and unanswered”, and the frequency and percentages of the true, partly true, false and unanswered responses that students gave for the questions are presented. The data that were obtained from the assessment survey were analysed with the content analysis method. The responses that pre-service students gave in the assessment survey were coded according to some certain rules. By using these codes, a systematic way in which some words are identified with some small contextual categories in the data was followed. As a result, it was concluded that pre-service mathematics teachers had knowledge about the misconceptions in secondary school mathematics, they removed misconceptions that were determined on some subjects, and they enriched the lesson with suggestions and solution ways that they developed. Some pre-service mathematics teachers still seem to be misconceptions about symmetry.

Key Words: Misconceptions, mathematics education, pre-service teachers

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