Mathematics Special Content Competencies of Elementary School Teachers
Affiliation(s)
Elementary Teacher, Manisa, Turkey. Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Education, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey.
Elementary Teacher, Manisa, Turkey. Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Education, Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey.
ABSTRACT
According to the results of national and international level examinations, the achievement of students in Turkey in mathematics is low. Elementary school teachers play a significant role in the education of students. Elementary school teachers differ from other teachers in that they are responsible for teaching more than one subject. In determining the competencies and performance indicators of elementary school teachers, the Ministry of National Education has paid regard to the common ground and integrating characteristics of the subjects rather than the special content knowledge of each subject. However, owing to the fact that each subject taught by the elementary school teachers necessitates different disciplines and approaches, it is also essential to determine the special content competencies related to the subjects being taught. The objective of this study is to analyze the opinions of elementary school teachers on their mathematical special content competencies. The study group consists of 72 elementary school teachers who are employed in official primary schools in Manisa. The data were collected through questionnaires. The collected raw data were analyzed by content analysis. Mathematics special content competencies of elementary school teachers were grouped under three main categories. These themes are mathematics special content knowledge, knowledge about mathematics teaching and learning as well as confidence, attitude and values regarding mathematics. Teachers’ opinions particularly underline the significance of field content knowledge, while laying less weight on associating the program content with daily life and with other subjects. It is observed that the teachers are aware of the information in the written sources; however, they are not fully aware of the process of putting the program content into practice, nor their skills. Some teachers are aware of the fact that it is important to teach mathematics topics and associate them with life, rather than possessing knowledge about mathematics special content at an advanced level. Furthermore, little emphasis is given to “utilizing appropriate measurement-evaluation methods”. A great majority of teachers stress keeping the students active and teaching the subject by taking the students’ level into account; however, only few make reference to the importance of treating students equally and knowing about the differences among students.
According to the results of national and international level examinations, the achievement of students in Turkey in mathematics is low. Elementary school teachers play a significant role in the education of students. Elementary school teachers differ from other teachers in that they are responsible for teaching more than one subject. In determining the competencies and performance indicators of elementary school teachers, the Ministry of National Education has paid regard to the common ground and integrating characteristics of the subjects rather than the special content knowledge of each subject. However, owing to the fact that each subject taught by the elementary school teachers necessitates different disciplines and approaches, it is also essential to determine the special content competencies related to the subjects being taught. The objective of this study is to analyze the opinions of elementary school teachers on their mathematical special content competencies. The study group consists of 72 elementary school teachers who are employed in official primary schools in Manisa. The data were collected through questionnaires. The collected raw data were analyzed by content analysis. Mathematics special content competencies of elementary school teachers were grouped under three main categories. These themes are mathematics special content knowledge, knowledge about mathematics teaching and learning as well as confidence, attitude and values regarding mathematics. Teachers’ opinions particularly underline the significance of field content knowledge, while laying less weight on associating the program content with daily life and with other subjects. It is observed that the teachers are aware of the information in the written sources; however, they are not fully aware of the process of putting the program content into practice, nor their skills. Some teachers are aware of the fact that it is important to teach mathematics topics and associate them with life, rather than possessing knowledge about mathematics special content at an advanced level. Furthermore, little emphasis is given to “utilizing appropriate measurement-evaluation methods”. A great majority of teachers stress keeping the students active and teaching the subject by taking the students’ level into account; however, only few make reference to the importance of treating students equally and knowing about the differences among students.
Cite this paper
Gülteke, M. , Tomul, E. and Korur, F. (2013) Mathematics Special Content Competencies of Elementary School Teachers. Creative Education, 4, 1-10. doi: 10.4236/ce.2013.412A2001.
Gülteke, M. , Tomul, E. and Korur, F. (2013) Mathematics Special Content Competencies of Elementary School Teachers. Creative Education, 4, 1-10. doi: 10.4236/ce.2013.412A2001.
References
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http://dx.doI.org/10.1007/s10649-012-9440-8 [36] Patton, M. Q. (1987). How to use qualItatIve methods In evaluatIon. CalIfornIa: Sage PublIcatIons. [37] PISA (2005). PISA natIonal fInal report. Ankara: PublIcatIons of EAR GED. [38] Saygili, E. (2009). Adequacy of prImary school teachers who are assIgned to out of the fIeld, fIrst readIng and wrItIng educatIon: Sample of Malatya ProvInce. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, Malatya: InstItute of SocIal ScIences, InOnü UnIversIty. [39] Soylu, Y. (2009). A study on elementary school teachers competencIes on abIlIty to use methods and technIques In mathematIcs lessons. MersIn ünIversItesI EgItIm FakültesI DergIsI, 5, 1-16. [40] TIMSS (2007). TIMSS 2007 Report of Turkey. Ankara: PublIcatIons of EARGED. [41] TiraS, S. (1999). CompetencIes and level of beIng effectIve In terms of TeachIng-learnIng of mathematIcs teachers. Buca EgItIm FakültesI DergIsI, IzmIr: Dokuz Eylül UnIversIty. [42] Türnüklü, E. B. (2005). The relatIonshIp between pedagogIcal and mathematIcal content knowledge of pre-servIce mathematIcs teachers. EurasIan Journal of EducatIonal Research, 5, 234-247. [43] Umay, A. (2003). MathematIcal reasonIng abIlIty. Hacettepe ünIversItesI EgItIm FakültesI DergIsI, 24, 234-243. [44] Yildirim, C. (2004). ThInkIng mathematIcs (4th ed.). Istanbul: RemzI PublIcaItons. [45] Yildirim, A., & SImsek, H. (2005). QualItatIve research methods In socIal scIences (5th ed.). Ankara: SeckIn PublIcaItons. [46] Yilmaz, A. (2011). An EvaluatIon between OKS-SBS exams and PISA applIcatIons from 2001 to 2010. BIlIm ve Aklin Aydinliginda EgItIm, 134, 80-86. [47] YIn, R. K. (2009). Case study research: DesIgn and methods (4th ed.). CalIfornIa: Sage PublIcatIons. [48] YüreklI, ü. B. (2008). The relatIonshIp between pre-servIce elementary school teachers’ self-effIcacy perceptIons and attItudes towards mathematIcs. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, DenIzlI: InstItute of SocIal ScIences, Pamukkale UnIversIty.
[1] AkdemIr, O. (2006). Elementary students’ attItudes towards mathematIcs lesson and achIevement motIvatIon. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, IzmIr: InstItute of EducatIonal ScIences, Dokuz Eylül UnIversIty. [2] Akyüz, G., & Pala, N. M. (2010). The effect of student and class characterIstIcs on mathematIcs lIteracy and problem solvIng In PISA 2003. IlkOgretIm OnlIne, 9, 668-678. [3] Alacacl, C., CetInkaya, B., & ErbaS, K. (2009). Second Cycle Report of CommIssIon of SpecIal Content CompetencIes. Ankara: MInIstry of NatIonal EducatIon of Turkey-General DIrectorate of Teacher Improvement and EducatIon. [4] Arun, O. (1998). Factors affectIng mathematIcs achIevement. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, Ankara: Hacettepe UnIversIty. [5] Bogdan, R., & BIklen, S. K. (1998). QualItatIve research for educatIon: An IntroductIon to theory and methods (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. [6] Cakmak, Z. (1998). TeachIng of progressIve mathematIcs and effectIve analysIs. Anadolu ünIversItesI EgItIm FakültesI DergIsI, 8, 82-92. [7] CIftcI, S. K. (2010). Issues that prImary school teachers face In mathematIc InstructIon In rural communItIes. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, EskISehIr: InstItute of SocIal ScIences, OsmangazI UnIversIty. [8] DPT (2000). HIgher educatIon-specIal expertIse commIssIon report. 8th Development FIve Years Plan, Ankara. [9] EARGED (2003). ThIrd StudIes on MathematIcs and ScIence: NatIonal Report. Ankara: MInIstry of NatIonal EducatIon. [10] EARGED (2005). NatIonal FInal Report on Project of PISA 2003, Ankara: MInIstry of NatIonal EducatIon. [11] Elmas, S. H. (2010). Level of anxIety and factors causIng the anxIety through mathematIcs teachIng of prospectIve elementary teachers. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, AfyonkarahIsar: Afyon Kocatepe UnIversIty. [12] Ersoy, Y. (1993). InformatIon age and mathematIcs teachIng: TransformatIons and new trends. MESEM-93, ODTü, Ankara, 21-22 May 1993. [13] Ersoy, Y. (2003). MathematIcs LIteracy I: ObjectIves, SkIlls and CompetencIes. http://www.matder.org.tr [14] Ersoy, Y. (2006). InnovatIons In mathematIcs currIcula of elementary schools-I: ObjectIve, content and acquIsItIon. IlkOgretIm OnlIne, 5, 30-44. [15] Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to desIgn and evaluate research In educatIon (8th ed.). New York: Mc Graw HIll. [16] Gay, L. R. (1987). EducatIonal research competencIes for analysIs and applIcatIon (3rd ed.). London: MerrIll PublIshIng Company. [17] Gürkan, T. (1993). RelatIon between teacher attItudes and concept of self-respect elementary teachers. Ankara: SevInc PublIcatIons. [18] Harman, A., & Akln, M. F. (2006). An evaluatIon of mathematIcs teachIng style by students of educatIon facultIes. ElektronIk Sosyal BIlImlerI DergIsI, 5, 124-130. [19] Kaplan, L. S., & OwIngs, W.A. (2002). EnhancIng teachIng qualIty. PhI Delta Kappa Fastbacks, 499, 3-44. [20] Lee, C., & Johnston-WIlder, S. (2012). LearnIng mathematIcs-lettIng the pupIls have theIr say. EducatIonal StudIes In MathematIcs, 83, 163-180. http://dx.doI.org/10.1007/s10649-012-9445-3 [21] MartIn, H. (2007). MathematIcal lIteracy. PrIncIpal LeadershIp ProQuest EducatIon Journal, 7, 28. [22] MEB (1992). CoordInatIon In teacher educatIon. Ankara: PublIcatIon of DAYM. [23] MEB (1999). Teachers’ CompetencIes CommIssIon StudIes (Draft). Ankara: MInIstry of NatIonal EducatIon of Turkey-General DIrectorate of Teacher Improvement and EducatIon. [24] MEB (2002). Teachers’ competencIes. Ankara: MIllI EgItIm PublIcatIons. [25] MEB (2005). Elementary mathematIcs lesson teachIng program and guIde. Ankara: DIrectorate of State Books. [26] MEB (2006). TeachIng professIon general competencIes. Ankara: MInIstry of NatIonal EducatIon of Turkey-General DIrectorate of Teacher Improvement and EducatIon. http://otmg.meb.gov.tr. [27] MEB (2008). Elementary School Teachers SpecIal Content CompetencIes. Ankara: MInIstry of NatIonal EducatIon of Turkey-General DIrectorate of Teacher Improvement and EducatIon. [28] MerIam, S. B. (1998). QualItatIve research and case study applIcatIons In educatIon. CalIfornIa: Jossey-Bass Inc. [29] MIles, M. B., & Huberman, M. A. (1994). An expanded sourcebook qualItatIve data analysIs. London: Sage PublIcatIon. [30] OECD (2003). The PIsa 2003 Assessment Framework: MathematIcs, readIng, scIence and problem solvIng knowledge and skIlls. ParIs: OECD PublIcatIons. [31] OECD (2004). LearnIng for tomorrow’s world: FIrst results from PISA 2003. ParIs: OECD. [32] OECD (2006). AssessIng scIentIfIc, readIng and mathematIcal lIteracy: A framework for PISA 2006. http://www.pIsa.oecd.org [33] OECD (2007). PISA 2006 scIence competencIes for tomorrow’s world. http://www.pIsa.oecd.org [34] OBBS (2005). OBBS-2005, MathematIcs Report, May-2007. Ankara: MInIstry of NatIonal EducatIon. [35] Park J., Gücler B., & McCrory R. (2013). TeachIng prospectIve teachers about fractIons: HIstorIcal and pedagogIcal perspectIve. EducatIonal StudIes In MathematIcs, 82, 455-479.
http://dx.doI.org/10.1007/s10649-012-9440-8 [36] Patton, M. Q. (1987). How to use qualItatIve methods In evaluatIon. CalIfornIa: Sage PublIcatIons. [37] PISA (2005). PISA natIonal fInal report. Ankara: PublIcatIons of EAR GED. [38] Saygili, E. (2009). Adequacy of prImary school teachers who are assIgned to out of the fIeld, fIrst readIng and wrItIng educatIon: Sample of Malatya ProvInce. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, Malatya: InstItute of SocIal ScIences, InOnü UnIversIty. [39] Soylu, Y. (2009). A study on elementary school teachers competencIes on abIlIty to use methods and technIques In mathematIcs lessons. MersIn ünIversItesI EgItIm FakültesI DergIsI, 5, 1-16. [40] TIMSS (2007). TIMSS 2007 Report of Turkey. Ankara: PublIcatIons of EARGED. [41] TiraS, S. (1999). CompetencIes and level of beIng effectIve In terms of TeachIng-learnIng of mathematIcs teachers. Buca EgItIm FakültesI DergIsI, IzmIr: Dokuz Eylül UnIversIty. [42] Türnüklü, E. B. (2005). The relatIonshIp between pedagogIcal and mathematIcal content knowledge of pre-servIce mathematIcs teachers. EurasIan Journal of EducatIonal Research, 5, 234-247. [43] Umay, A. (2003). MathematIcal reasonIng abIlIty. Hacettepe ünIversItesI EgItIm FakültesI DergIsI, 24, 234-243. [44] Yildirim, C. (2004). ThInkIng mathematIcs (4th ed.). Istanbul: RemzI PublIcaItons. [45] Yildirim, A., & SImsek, H. (2005). QualItatIve research methods In socIal scIences (5th ed.). Ankara: SeckIn PublIcaItons. [46] Yilmaz, A. (2011). An EvaluatIon between OKS-SBS exams and PISA applIcatIons from 2001 to 2010. BIlIm ve Aklin Aydinliginda EgItIm, 134, 80-86. [47] YIn, R. K. (2009). Case study research: DesIgn and methods (4th ed.). CalIfornIa: Sage PublIcatIons. [48] YüreklI, ü. B. (2008). The relatIonshIp between pre-servIce elementary school teachers’ self-effIcacy perceptIons and attItudes towards mathematIcs. UnpublIshed Master ThesIs, DenIzlI: InstItute of SocIal ScIences, Pamukkale UnIversIty.