A teaching strategy to enhance mathematical competency of pre-service teachers at UWC
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Date
2017
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
In this study a mixed methods approach was employed to investigate how exposure to a
teaching strategy based on spiral revision, productive practice and a mainly direct expository
instructional method would influence the mathematical competencies of procedural fluency
and conceptual understanding of pre-service mathematics teachers at a South African
university. A secondary concern of the study was how retention and transfer abilities of
participants would be influenced if they experience mathematics through a teaching strategy
underpinned by spiral revision and productive practice.
A revised version of the taxonomy table of Anderson et al (2001) was utilized to classify
learning and instructional activities in the study in terms of mathematical reasoning and
knowledge requirements. In this revised taxonomy the cognitive processes are understood to
operate on knowledge structures during the process of cognition (i.e. reasoning categories
based on knowledge categories.). The categories of the revised taxonomy table were the main
measuring instrument for the study.
The findings of the study indicate that the competencies of procedural fluency and conceptual
understanding were positively enhanced by the teaching strategy. Some categories however
did not show the same level of positive enhancement. Arguments are presented as to why this
might be the case and possible solutions are mooted. Findings also indicate that retention and
near transfer abilities of participants were positively enhanced. Far transfer abilities were
unchanged post intervention. Explanations are offered for this finding and possible
resolutions are suggested.
Description
Philosophiae Doctor - PhD
Keywords
Pre-service teachers, UWC, Teaching strategy, Mathematical mompetency, Mathematical ability