Exploring pre-service mathematics teachers' knowledge and use of mathematical modelling as a strategy for solving real-world problems.
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Date
2008
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Abstract
Mathematical modelling is an area in mathematics education that has been much researched
but conspicuously absent from the South African curriculum. The last few years have seen a
move towards re-inclusion of mathematical modelling in the South African school curriculum.
According to the National Curriculum Statement (2003a), “mathematical modelling provides
learners with the means to analyse and describe their world mathematically, and so allows
learners to deepen their understanding of Mathematics while adding to their mathematical
tools for solving real-world problems”.
The purpose of this study was to explore pre-service mathematics teachers’ conception of
mathematical modelling and the different strategies that pre-service mathematics teachers use
when solving real-world mathematics problems. This study further investigated pre-service
mathematics teachers’ ability to facilitate the understanding of specific mathematical
modelling problems.
Twenty-one fourth year Further Education and Training students from the Faculty of
Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal participated in this study. In order to obtain
appropriate data to answer the research questions, the researcher designed three different
research instruments. The open-ended questionnaire and the task-based questionnaire were
administered to all the participants, whilst ten participants were chosen to be interviewed. The
data that was collected was analysed qualitatively.
The research findings emanating from this study suggested that pre-service mathematics
teachers did not have a suitable working knowledge of mathematical modelling, but were nonetheless able to use their mathematical competencies to solve the three real-world
problems that formed part of the task-based questionnaire. It was found that although the
participants were aware of different strategies to solve these real-world mathematics problems,
they choose to use the ones that they were most familiar with.
It is hoped that this study would prompt more universities to include mathematical modelling
courses in the curriculum for prospective mathematics teachers.
Description
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
Keywords
Mathematics teachers--Training of--South Africa., Mathematical models--Study and teaching (Secondary)--South Africa., Mathematics--Study and teaching (Secondary)--South Africa., Problem solving.