INVESTIGATION OF VIEWS ON TEACHING METHODS OF MATHEMATICS COURSES TO PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
Journal Name:
- Turkish Studies
Keywords (Original Language):
| Author Name | University of Author | Faculty of Author |
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Abstract (2. Language):
Introduction
In mathematics teaching, it is aimed to surround people with basic mathematics knowledge and skills which ones need throughout one’s life and to ensure them to have a way of thinking which handles the events around oneself with the problem-solving approach. Various teaching methods can be used in mathematics teaching in which the abstract operations are made. Teachers are supposed to make a selection in consideration of the students’ conditions when using the teaching methods. Just in this way, the success can be achieved. In primary schools, the primary school teachers attend the class as mathematics teachers. Foundations of mathematics are founded in the term of primary school. For this reason, it is important how the primary school teachers give education in mathematics lesson.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to determine the primary school teachers’ opinions about the mathematics lesson teaching methods. In accordance with this main purpose, it is looked for answers to these questions:
1- What are the mathematics teaching methods which the primary school teachers use?
2- What are the reasons of preference of the mathematics teaching methods which the primary school teachers use?
3- Which are the mathematics teaching methods that the primary school teachers know but cannot use in the lesson?
4- What are the reasons of inability of the mathematics teaching methods which primary school teachers know but cannot use in the lesson?
Theoretical Framework
“Mathematics, which is a system in itself, consists of the structure and relations and it is an abstract concept including the consecutive abstractions which these structures and relations form and the generalization processes” (Alakoc, 2003: 43). At first, it can be considered as an incomprehensible lesson by the students and many other people because of the abstract concepts in it. Teachers have the most important part to remove this perception which can be formed in individuals.
“Main purpose of the teacher is to make the students realize the importance and difference of mathematical thinking, the framework of the thinking structure and products in order to be able to think critical” (Ersoy, 2002: 59). To provide this, the teacher should improve the learning-teaching process and apply the various techniques in lessons.
“In today’s world, the mankind has developed different strategies and learning types in order to make the learning permanent and to make it stable in minds. It has been worked on the various teaching methods in the field of mathematics related to this subject as well, just like in the field of the other science branches and has begun different quests to make mathematics learning easier” (Polat, 2013: 16).
Technique
This study is a survey model research that is designed for identification of the opinions about the teaching methods which the primary school teachers use in mathematics lesson. In collection of data, the interview technique has been used. In this study, due to the fact that the information which the interviewers would like to give about the topic is not restricted, semi-structured interview technique has been preferred.
The participants are the primary school teachers who work in state schools in Adana, in 2013-2014 school years. In selection of the participants, maximum variety has been looked for. For this reason, in the determination of the participants, gender, seniority, and the branch variance has been taken into account. 22 primary school teachers have participated in the study as volunteers. 13 of these teachers have been female; 9 of them have been male; 16 of them have graduated from primary school teaching department and 6 of them has graduated from the other departments; 2 of them have 1-5 years seniority, 8 of them have 6-10 years, 3 of them have 11-15 years, 7 of them have 16-20 years and 2 of them have 20 years and over seniority.
For this study, semi-structured interview form has been prepared by the researchers. While forming the questions in the interview forms, it has been made use of the questions which Taskaya and Bal (2009) and Taskaya and Surmeli (2014) have used in the studies with the primary school teachers. For validation of the research questions, pre-practice has been made to 10 primary school teachers. In the analysis of data which has been collected with the help of open-ended questions has been used the descriptive analysis.
Findings and Debate
Primary school teachers have determined averagely ‘3,3’ method names as the method numbers which they use in mathematics teaching. When considering that the importance given to the knowledge and knowing has increased every passing day, it can be said that this number is quite a little, because the mathematics lesson is a lesson which has a feature of the use of different teaching methods.
When examined the results of the study, it has been seen that the primary school teachers would prefer question-answer, expression and problem solving teaching methods in mathematics lessons the most frequently.
When examined the studies about the methods which primary school teachers use in the other lessons, it has been seen that the methods like explanation, question-answer, argumentation and drama are the main methods. According to the results of study, computer assisted learning is the first method as one of the mathematics teaching methods which teachers know but cannot use in lesson because of the various reasons.
Conclusion and Suggestions
When evaluating the results of this study and the other similar studies together, it has been seen that the choice of the teaching method affects the education activities considerably. Despite the fact that the new education programs are learner-centered, it is the other important result that the teachers do not use or cannot use, because of various reasons, the techniques making students active in lesson.
Based on the results of the study, these suggestions have been made:
1. Necessary skills about the special teaching methods should be given to the teacher candidates in mathematics lesson which is taken part in primary school teaching undergraduate program.
2. In-service training about the mathematics special teaching methods for the primary school teachers should be arranged by MNE (the Ministry of National Education).
3. Research which will reveal how the primary school teachers use the special teaching methods they know should be done.
4. Research which will reveal why primary school teachers use few methods in mathematics should be done.
5. The precautions which will overcome the technical deficiency in schools should be taken. The materials which will be used during the mathematics teaching should be provided.
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Abstract (Original Language):
Matematik öğretiminde, kişinin hayatı boyunca ihtiyaç duyacağı temel matematik bilgi ve becerileri kazandırmak ve çevresindeki olayları problem çözme yaklaşımı ile ele alan bir düşünme tarzına sahip olmalarını sağlamak amaçlanmaktadır. Soyut işlemlerin yapıldığı matematiğin öğretiminde farklı öğretim yöntemler kullanılabilir. Öğretmenlerin öğretim yöntemlerini kullanırken öğrencilerin durumlarını göz önünde tutarak seçim yapması gerekmektedir. Ancak bu şekilde başarı sağlanabilir. Matematik dersine ilkokullarda sınıf öğretmenleri girmektedir. Matematiğin temelleri ilkokul döneminde atılmaktadır. Bu nedenle sınıf öğretmenlerinin matematik dersinde nasıl bir eğitim verdikleri önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, sınıf öğretmenlerinin matematik dersinde kullandıkları öğretim yöntemlerine ilişkin görüşlerini belirlemektir. Çalışmaya, Adana ilinde bulunan ilkokullarda 2013-2014 öğretim yılında görev yapmakta olan 22 sınıf öğretmeni katılmıştır. Verilerin toplanmasında, araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan açık uçlu soru formu kullanılmıştır. Katılımcıların seçiminde maksimum çeşitliliği sağlamak için; kıdem yılı, cinsiyet ve mezun oldukları lisans düzeyleri göz önünde bulundurulmuştur. Elde edilen verilerin analizinde betimsel analiz yönteminden yararlanılmıştır. Araştırmada matematik dersinde sınıf öğretmenlerinin ortalama 3 öğretim yöntemi kullandıkları; en çok problem çözme, anlatım ve soru cevap yöntemlerini tercih ettikleri; yöntem seçiminde öğrenmeyi kolaylaştırma özelliğinin arandığı; bilgisayar destekli öğretimin bazı öğretmenlerce kullanılmak istenmesine rağmen kullanılamadığı; derste kullanılmayan yöntemlerin okulun fiziki imkânlarının yetersizliği nedeniyle kullanılamadığı sonuçlarına ulaşılmıştır. Araştırma sonunda sınıf öğretmenlerinin matematik dersi için öğretim yöntemleri konusunda hizmet içi eğitime alınması önerisinde bulunulmuştur.
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