A natural way to teach division of rational numbers

1969 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-93
Author(s):  
Irvin E. Vance

In working with students in Grades 5–9, preservice teachers, and in-service elementary teachers, we ask the question: “Can you solve the problem 14/9, ÷ 2/3 by dividing 14 by 2 and 9 by 3?”

Author(s):  
Jennifer Potter

The purpose of this pretest-posttest study was to investigate elementary preservice teachers’ perceptions of and level of comfort with music in the elementary classroom after enrolling in an online music integration course. Participants were preservice elementary teachers ( N = 93) enrolled in three sections of an online music integration course at a large university in Southern California. Results showed significant differences in participants’ agreement with aspects of music teaching, comfort with music, and music integration. Findings also indicated significant differences in participants’ rankings of musical outcomes in an elementary setting. There were no significant differences found among participants’ ranking of music and other subjects in the elementary classroom.


Author(s):  
Debra R. Sprague ◽  
Maria Katradis

This mixed-method study explored a cohort of 18 preservice elementary teachers' perceptions of technology and their abilities to integrate technology in their teaching. Data sources included blog postings, a confidence survey, lessons plans and observations. Results showed a disconnect between the blog postings and confidence survey (their perceptions) and their lessons plans and observations (their abilities). Five case studies were examined, using the TPACK framework, to determine where the disconnect was occurring. Although Technical Knowledge seemed to be an issue for some, the majority of the preservice teachers struggled with Pedagogical Knowledge. Suggestions for how to address this issue are included. Implications for teacher education are discussed.


1967 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 557-559
Author(s):  
David M. Clarkson

So much use is being made of number lines these days that it may not occur to elementary teachers to represent numbers in other ways. There are, in fact, many ways to picture whole numbers geometrically as arrays of squares or triangles or other shapes. Often, important insights into, for example, oddness and evenness can be gained by such representations. The following account of a sixth-grade class discussion of fractions shows how a “number pencil” can be constructed to represent all the positive rational numbers, and, by a similar method, also the negative rationals. An extension of this could even be made to obtain a number pencil picturing certain irrational numbers.


1983 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Mayberry

This study operationally defined and studied the five learning levels hypothesized by P. M. van Hiele and D. van Hiele-Geldof. Tasks were designed for the first four levels using seven common geometric concepts and revised after review by 11 mathematics educators. Audiotaped interviews were given to 19 preservice elementary teachers, 13 of whom had studied high school geometry. Guttman's scalogram analysis showed that the tasks representing the levels formed a hierarchy. A test of consensus revealed that students were on different levels for different concepts. Responses, in general, showed that the typical student in the study was not ready for a formal deductive geometry course.


2004 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 274-284
Author(s):  
Marlena Herman ◽  
Eric Milou ◽  
Jay Schiffman

Major foci of secondary mathematics include understanding numbers, ways of representing numbers, and relationships among numbers (NCTM 2000). This article considers different representations of rational numbers and leads students through activities that explore patterns in base ten, as well as in other bases. These activities encourage students to solve problems and investigate situations designed to foster flexible thinking about rational numbers. Preservice teachers in a college-level mathematics course carried out these activities. Their conjectures and ideas are incorporated throughout this article.


1996 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 308-313
Author(s):  
Patricia Pokay ◽  
Carla Tayeh

Traditionally, college mathematics courses have rarely asked students to write or to reflect on their learning, concentrating instead on textbook exercises and problem sets in a lecture format. The intent of this study was to model the use of portfolio assessment in a college mathematics course for preservice teachers while focusing on the contributions of the students' writing in the mathematics classroom. In the study, portfolios were the vehicle for organizing the students' writings.


SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824401988512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Cansiz ◽  
Nurcan Cansiz

Guided by Bandura’s theoretical construct of self-efficacy, in this study, we attempted to model the relationship between preservice elementary teachers’ sources of self-efficacy and their constructivist, and traditional beliefs related to teaching and learning by multiple linear regression analyses. Participants consist of 151 preservice elementary teachers at a state university. Results indicated that while mastery experience is significantly contributed to preservice elementary teachers’ constructivist teaching beliefs, physiological/emotional state made a statistically significant contribution to their traditional teaching beliefs. These results suggested that preservice elementary teachers hold more constructivist teaching beliefs as they gain experience with teaching based on the constructivist approach. Moreover, when preservice teachers have high anxiety, fear, or stress, they tend to be more traditional-oriented. The implications were discussed in terms of teacher education programs.


2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 1080-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristie Jones Newton

The study of preservice elementary teachers’ knowledge of fractions is important because fractions are notoriously difficult to learn and teach. Unfortunately, studies of preservice teachers’ fraction knowledge are limited and have focused primarily on division. The present study included all four operations to provide a more comprehensive understanding of this knowledge. Because knowledge is complex, it was examined in five ways: computational skill, basic concepts, word problems, flexibility, and transfer. To further capture the complexity of knowledge, solution methods were examined for patterns that might reveal understandings and misconceptions. Data were gathered before and after a course designed to deepen preservice teachers’ knowledge. Quantitative and qualitative shifts occurred during the semester, but flexibility and transfer were low. Implications for teacher education are discussed.


Author(s):  
Debra R. Sprague ◽  
Maria Katradis

This mixed-method study explored a cohort of 18 preservice elementary teachers' perceptions of technology and their abilities to integrate technology in their teaching. Data sources included blog postings, a confidence survey, lessons plans and observations. Results showed a disconnect between the blog postings and confidence survey (their perceptions) and their lessons plans and observations (their abilities). Five case studies were examined, using the TPACK framework, to determine where the disconnect was occurring. Although Technical Knowledge seemed to be an issue for some, the majority of the preservice teachers struggled with Pedagogical Knowledge. Suggestions for how to address this issue are included. Implications for teacher education are discussed.


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