Safure BULUT

The purposes of utilizing concrete materials in mathematics courses are not clear for some teachers. For this reason the purpose of the study is to determine preservice teachers’ opinions about using concrete materials in teaching mathematics. This study was designed as a qualitative study. Participants of the study consisted of 45 preservice elementary mathematics teachers. According to the results of the study, participants’ purposes to use concrete materials in school mathematics courses are collected under three categories namely, purposes in terms of student development, purposes in terms of subject matter, and purposes in terms of learning environment.

In this study, we survey the history of mathematics education in Turkey starting with its historical roots in the foundation of the republic. The changes in mathematics education in Turkey over the last century are investigated through an analysis of changes in curricular documents for K-12 schools. We consider the factors and reasons affecting curriculum developments, changes in philosophy and structure in terms of standards, objective and instructions. This article utilizes archival research techniques by examining original sources and illustrates the nature of the changes benefiting from a historical perspective. As a result of such analysis of the aforesaid sources, we have seen that the main reasons for changing mathematics curricula are: to build up a modern civilization in Turkey; the reports of John Dewey and the recommendations of Kate Wofford, William C. Varaceus and Watson Dickerman; the desire to become a member of the European Union; international factors and political situations.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ metacognitive behaviour in the mathematical problem-solving process. The case study methodology was employed with six preservice mathematics teachers, enrolled at one university in Ankara, Turkey. We collected data by using the think aloud method, which lasted for two sessions. It was found that there was no relationship between academic achievement and frequencies of metacognitive behaviour. However, the types of problems could affect these frequencies. Furthermore, there was no pattern in metacognitive behaviour with respect to achievement and type of problem.

ABSTRACT There is a difficulty in teaching/learning the concept of probability because of the various reasons such as a shortage of competent teachers and students' misconceptions. In the study, the performances of the prospective mathematics teachers on probability was investigated.The subject consistedof 125 seniorsenrolled in the secondarymathematicsteacher educationprograms in Ankara. The percentages of correct answers of seven questions was lower than that of wrong answer. The prospectivemathematicsteachersdid not have some basic concepts of probability such as probability of occurring event(s), samplepoint, and sample space. They also could not specify type of events. Furthermore,they could not compute probability of non-mutually exclusive events. Consequently, prospective mathematicsteachers did not have enoughcompetencieson probability.

ABSTRACT There is a difficulty in teaching/learning the concept of probability because of the various reasons such as a shortage of competent teachers and students' misconceptions. In the study, the performances of the prospective mathematics teachers on probability was investigated.The subject consistedof 125 seniorsenrolled in the secondarymathematicsteacher educationprograms in Ankara. The percentages of correct answers of seven questions was lower than that of wrong answer. The prospectivemathematicsteachersdid not have some basic concepts of probability such as probability of occurring event(s), samplepoint, and sample space. They also could not specify type of events. Furthermore,they could not compute probability of non-mutually exclusive events. Consequently, prospective mathematicsteachers did not have enoughcompetencieson probability.