Öğretmen Adaylarının Matematiğe Yönelik İmajları, Tutumları ve Akademik Başarıları Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi
Özet
This study aims to investigate the images of first- and fourth-year elementary
mathematics, science and elementary education teacher candidates about
mathematics, mathematicians, mathematics teachers and students, their
mathematics achievement and attitudes towards mathematics; whether their
images of mathematics and mathematicians, mathematics achievement and
attitudes towards mathematics vary significantly based on several variables
(program of study, year of study and gender); and whether a relationship exists
between their images of mathematics and mathematicians, their mathematics
achievement levels and attitude towards mathematics.
The study used the partial mixed concurrent dominant status design. Participants
were 424 teacher candidates. Qualitative data were collected by using a
mathematics image survey for teacher candidates and a drawing form, while
quantitative data were collected by using a mathematics attitude scale and a basic
mathematics achievement test. The quantitative data were analyzed with
multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). For the analyses of qualitative data,
themes and codes were identified, and percentages were reported for the
statements “often, rarely, never”. Furthermore, Chi-square was used to reveal
whether program type, year of study and gender created a significant difference. In
order to associate qualitative and quantitative data, correspondence analysis was
undertaken where possible.
The findings showed that the mathematics success and mathematics attitudes of
elementary mathematics education teacher candidates were higher than those of
science and elementary education teacher candidates.
The word “mathematics” was mostly associated by teacher candidates with the most
common mathematics topics. These associations of “mathematics” did not vary
significantly with respect to program of study or gender. On the other hand, year of
study caused a significant difference in these associations, and was related with
mathematics achievement and attitude for all teacher candidates.
Considering their associations of the word “mathematics”, teacher candidates most
frequently mentioned life. While their associations of the word “mathematics” did not
vary significantly based on program type, year of study or gender, no relationship
was found between mathematics achievement and mathematics attitudes of teacher
candidates from different program types and years of study. When asked the
reasons for their associations of the word “mathematics”, teacher candidates most
commonly mentioned their feelings for mathematics, and more precisely positive
feelings. While their reasons for these associations did not vary significantly with
respect to year of study or gender, they varied significantly with respect to program
type. For all teacher candidates, they were found to be related with mathematics
achievement and attitudes.
Teacher candidates stated that if they were academics working in the field of
mathematics, they would want to work on derivatives, numbers and geometry.
These topics did not correlate with the mathematics achievement or attitudes of
teacher candidates. When asked why they chose these areas, they mostly
responded by emphasizing positive feelings. Their reasons for choosing these areas
did not correlate with the mathematics achievement or attitudes of teacher
candidates. On the other hand, they correlated with mathematics achievement
during different years of study.
When asked about their favorite past and present mathematicians, teacher
candidates most commonly answered Pythagoras and Cahit Arf, after their own
lecturers. When asked their reasons for respecting these mathematicians, teacher
candidates mostly mentioned their useful deeds. Their reasons for respecting these
mathematicians did not correlate with the mathematics achievement or attitude of
the teacher candidates in different years of study.
When drawing mathematicians, the teacher candidates most commonly preferred
to draw males, followed by females, and then either a male or female. They stated
that the mathematicians they drew mostly worked as teachers at schools. At the
same time, they mostly mentioned teachers when asked the sources that influenced
their drawings of mathematicians. In their drawings where they imagined
themselves as mathematics teachers, they most commonly represented the
mathematics teacher as lecturing and students as listening to the lecture.
It is supposed that the results of the study will be able to provide useful contribution
for educators, policy makers, and researchers studied in math curriculum and
instruction, teacher education, and images.
