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Conceptual knowledge of preservice mathematics students
Abstract
The purpose for conducting this study was to investigate the effects of using a conceptual approach to instruction as recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in the Curriculum Standards (1989) and the Professional Standards (1991) on the mathematical understanding of college students intending to become secondary mathematics teachers. The relationships between the conceptual levels of understanding mathematics, grade point averages and ACT scores were examined. Mathematical understanding focused on conceptual understanding. The design of the study was quasi-experimental. The treatment group consisted of college juniors who were preservice secondary mathematics students. The control group consisted of three subgroups: preservice secondary mathematics teachers at a second university, noneducation mathematics majors enrolled in matrix algebra, and high school seniors from a public high school enrolled in calculus. Of the 112 students who participated in the study, 32 composed the treatment group. The Conceptual Level Test was constructed to measure conceptual understanding. Pretests and posttest were administered to all groups. Results showed that conceptual understanding of students in the treatment group was significantly higher on the posttest than on the pretest $(p < 0.05).$ There were no strong relationships between conceptual understanding and the variables of gender, grade point averages or ACT scores. Students in the treatment group scored significantly higher on conceptual understanding than the noneducation mathematics majors on the posttest $(p < 0.01).$ Recommendations of this study include: (1) training for preservice teachers that is conceptually based using the Standards (NCTM, 1989, 1991), (2) a content component needs to be included in the secondary mathematics education program, (3) modeling of the changes as recommended by the Standards (NCTM, 1989, 1991) by all college instructors, especially in the content area, and (4) more time in the training of preservice teachers in using an inquiry/constructivist approach and in developing skill for classroom discourse.
Subject Area
Mathematics education|Teacher education
Recommended Citation
Johnson, James Leslie, "Conceptual knowledge of preservice mathematics students" (1995). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9600740.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9600740