• Communications of Mathematical Education
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.365-384
• /
• 2010

This paper is an analysis study where we surveyed how well pre-service teachers understand the mathematical concepts taught in elementary school. We analyzed the results focusing on the following: First, what are the pre-service teachers' understandings of the equal sign and variables? Secondly, how exact are their understandings of other elementary school mathematical concepts? The survey was done on the students in Teachers College of Jeju National University. We hope that the results of this study will help the improvement of mathematical education for elementary pre-service teachers.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.215-233
• /
• 2008

Deep comprehension of basic mathematical notions and concepts is a basic condition of a successful teaching. Some elements of algebraic thinking belong to the elementary school mathematics. The question "What stays the same and what changes?" link arithmetic problems with algebraic conception of variable. We have studied beliefs and comprehensions of future elementary school mathematics teachers on early algebra. Pre-service teachers from three academic pedagogical colleges deal with mathematical problems from the pre-algebra point of view, with the emphasis on changes and invariants. The idea is that the intensive use of non-formal algebra may help learners to construct a better understanding of fundamental ideas of arithmetic on the strong basis of algebraic thinking. In this article the study concerning arithmetic series is described. Considerable number of pre-service teachers moved from formulas to deep comprehension of the subject. Additionally, there are indications of ability to apply the conception of change and invariance in other mathematical and didactical contexts.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.31-50
• /
• 2012

The present study explored whether the implementation of focused activities (intervention programme) can enhance 22 pre-service mathematics teachers' proficiency in solid geometry thinking level as well as change for the better their feelings in this discipline. Over a period of 6 weeks the pre-service teachers participated in activities and diversified experiences with 3D shapes, using illustration aids and actual experience of building 3D shapes in relation to the various spatial thinking levels. The research objectives were to investigate whether the intervention programme, comprising task-oriented activities of solid geometry, enhance mathematics pre-service teachers' mastery of their geometric thinking levels as well as examine their feelings towards this discipline before and after the intervention programme. The findings illustrate that learners' levels of geometric thinking can be promoted, entailing control on higher thinking levels as well as a more positive attitude towards this field.

• The Mathematical Education
• /
• v.58 no.3
• /
• pp.367-381
• /
• 2019

This investigation engaged elementary and middle school pre-service teachers in a task of modeling and explaining the magnitude of $0.14m^2$ and examined their responses. The study analyzed both successful and unsuccessful responses in order to reflect on the patterns of misconceptions relative to pre-service teachers' prior knowledge. The findings suggest a need to promote opportunities for pre-service teachers to make connections between different domains through meaningful tasks, to reason abstractly and quantitatively, to use proper language, and to refine conceptual understanding. While mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) could use such mathematical tasks to identify the mathematical content needs of pre-service teachers, MTEs generally use instructional time to connect content and pedagogy. More importantly, an early and consistent exposure to a combined experience of mathematics and pedagogy that connects and deepens key concepts in the program's curriculum is critical in defining the important content knowledge for K-8 mathematics teachers.

• Research in Mathematical Education
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.55-74
• /
• 2014

This study examined the potential teaching strategies of prospective elementary teachers and their perceptions of the procedural/conceptual nature of examples. Fifty-four prospective teachers participated in this study, engaging in two-phase tasks. Analysis of data indicated that: (a) Overall, the participants' perceptions were geared toward putting emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than procedural understanding; but (b) Generally, procedure-oriented strategies were more frequently incorporated in participants' potential teaching plans. This implied that participants' preconceived ideas regarding math examples were not always reliable indicators of their potential teaching strategies. Implications and suggestions for mathematics teacher preparation are discussed.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.1-24
• /
• 2018

This study included eleven elementary pre-service teachers who participated in the first and second teaching practices held by J Education College in 2015. After the pre-service teachers were encouraged to self-reflect on their mathematics teaching using a reflective survey sheet of mathematics teaching expertise, their uses of mathematics teaching expertise were analyzed according to the times of their mathematics practice instructions. The results are as follows: First, as the frequency of their mathematics teaching increased, the pre-service teachers' uses of mathematics teaching expertise increased, especially greatly with seven of them. However, the number of subcategories where the teachers' uses of mathematics teaching expertise increased was different from at least two to seven depending on the teachers. Second, the pre-service teachers who performed mathematics teaching practices four times used more of mathematics teaching expertise than those who did two times or three times. Third, some pre-service teachers who taught two or three times never reached 90% of the total score of any subcategory, even in the subcategory where they showed increase in their uses of mathematics teaching expertise. Fourth, the subcategory of 'reflection before class - teaching perspective - understanding of mathematics subject knowledge' was analyzed as the most difficult one for the study participants, and the reason is, they think, that there are not enough materials on the historical back grounds of mathematical concepts.