Mathematics Pre-service Teachers’ Metaphorical Perceptions about Statistics in Turkey

AbstractThe research is aimed to reveal the thoughts the elementary mathematics pre-service teachers about “Statistics” concept through metaphors. A total of 62 mathematics pre-service teachers, taking statistics courses at a public university in Turkey in the spring semester of 2012-2013 academic year, participated in this qualitative research. The data of the research was obtained by having pre-service teachers answer the phrase of “Statistics is like…because…”. The data gathered from pre- service teachers have been analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis method. Research results revealed 32 metaphors and 3 categories about statistics

Elementary School Mathematics Teacher Trainees Metacognitive Awareness Levels: Turkey Case

The aim of this research is to determine the metacognitive awareness levels of elementary mathematics teacher trainees and to investigate whether their awareness differs according to gender and class level. We also investigate the relationship between the metacognitive awareness levels of trainee mathematics teachers and their overall performance course grades. The Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, developed by Schraw and Dennison (1994) and adapted into Turkish by Ak?n, Abac? and tin (2007), was implemented with a total of 153 mathematics teacher trainees. Analysis of the data collected suggests that most of the mathematics teacher trainees have a high level of metacognitive awareness. There was no significant difference between the metacognitive awareness levels of mathematics teacher trainees by gender or by class levels. There was a low level, positive relationship between their metacognitive awareness levels and their overall performance on university course grades

TEACHING MATHEMATICS AT VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND STUDENT ATTITUDES AND APPROACHES TOWARDS THIS COURSE

We examined the observations of preservice mathematics teachers in relation to mathematics teaching and teaching methods at vocational high schools and also their thoughts about vocational high school student attitudes and approaches towards this course in this qualitative study which is a case study of a descriptive type. With this aim, a total of 50 preservice teachers were addressed two research problems. The data reached within the context of the study was analyzed through the content analysis method. The research data were broadly analyzed by using the methods of categorical analysis and the frequency analysis. The findings showed that the preservice teachers thought that the way of teaching mathematics at vocational high schools and the vocational high school student attitudes and approaches towards this course were mostly negatively affected by such different variables as participation in courses, special teaching methods and techniques, and teacher. Besides, almost all the preservice teachers wrote negative statements in relation to the vocational high school student attitudes and approaches towards mathematics

The Effect Of Prospective Teachers Problem Solving Beliefs On Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Mathematical Literacy

This study examines prospective teachers beliefs in their own abilities and effectiveness to impart mathematical literacy to their students, their beliefs about mathematical problem solving, and the relationship between these two belief systems. A total of 567 prospective teachers, majoring in mathematics, science and elementary teacher education programs volunteered to participate in the study. The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale about Mathematical Literacy and the Beliefs about Mathematical Problem solving instruments were administered to prospective teachers. Results of the study revealed that there was a significant relationship between the beliefs about mathematical problem solving and self-efficacy. Findings of this study indicated that prospective teachers beliefs about mathematical literacy were an important predictor on the beliefs about mathematical problem solving

The Relationship between Preservice Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs and Metacognitive Awareness

The purpose of this study was to examine the metacognitive awareness and the beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning of preservice elementary mathematics teachers and to explore the relationship between the two. The Metacognitive Awareness Instrument (MAI) and the Mathematics Beliefs Instrument (MBI) were implemented with 118 elementary mathematics preservice teachers studying in a large urban university in northwestern Turkey during the 2011-2012 academic year. Statistical analysis results revealed that elementary mathematics preservice teachers’ knowledge about cognition and regulation of cognition specific domains of metacognition did predict together their beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning

Failures and Inabilities of High School Students about Quadratic Equations and Functions

In this research study, it was aimed to examine failures and inabilities of eleventh grade students about quadratic equations and functions. For this purpose, these students were asked ten open-ended questions. The analysis of the answers given by the students to these questions indicated that a significant part of these students had failures and inabilities about quadratic equations and functions. The students were often unable to decide what to do in relation to the mathematical operations and made some arithmetical mistakes

Kalaycı, Ş. (Ed.) (2006). SPSS Uygulamalı Çok Değişkenli İstatistik Teknikleri. Ankara: Asil Yayın Dağıtım.

Bu çalışmada, editörlüğü Doç. Dr. Şeref Kalaycı tarafından yapılan ve Asil Yayın Dağıtım tarafından yayınlanan “SPSS Uygulamalı Çok Değişkenli İstatistik Uygulamaları” adlı kitabın değerlendirmesi yapılmıştı

Primary School Seventh Grade Students’ Opinions About the Mathematics Course

The aim of this current study was to determine the opinions, attitudes and expectations of the seventh grade students regarding the mathematics course. There was a total of 49 7th grade students from the Şahin Yılmaz Elementary School in Bursa involved in this study in which the researchers used a questionnaire including three open-ended questions. The data consisting of the students’ responses were analyzed by using content analysis. The researchers transformed the qualitative data to the quantitative one by using certain procedures. After that the researchers used the categorical and frequency analysis in the analysis of the quantitative data. The study showed that the content of the mathematics course played curial roles in the students’ opinions and attitudes towards mathematics and that the participants liked mathematics teaching with games and activities.Çalışma, ilköğretim yedinci sınıf öğrencilerinin 2005 yılı ders programına uygun olarak okutulan Matematik dersi hakkındaki görüş ve düşünceleri ile dersten beklentilerini belirleyebilmek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmaya, Bursa ili Osmangazi ilçesi Şahin Yılmaz İlköğretim Okulu’nda öğrenim gören toplam 49yedinci sınıf öğrencisi katılmıştır ve bu öğrencilerden kendilerine yazılı olarak verilen 3 açık uçlu soruyu cevaplandırmaları istenmiştir. Öğrencilerin açık uçlu sorulara verdikleri cevaplardan elde edilen veriler içerik analizi yöntemiyle çözümlenmiştir. Bu aşamada, öğrencilerin sorulara verdikleri açık uçlu cevaplar belli aşamalardan geçirilerek sayılara dökülmüş ve böylece nitel veriler nicelleştirilmiştir. Ardından, nicelleştirilmiş veriler için frekans analizi ve kategorisel analiz yöntemlerine başvurulmuştur. Çalışmanın sonunda, öğrencilerin matematik dersine yönelik tutumlarında ve matematik dersi hakkındaki düşüncelerinde dersin içeriğinin oldukça etkili olduğu, öğrencilerin çoğunun oyunlarla ve etkinliklerle öğrenmeyi sevdiği belirlenmiştir