Prospective Mathematics Teachers' Opinions about the History of Mathematics Course


YENİLMEZ K.

PAMUKKALE UNIVERSITESI EGITIM FAKULTESI DERGISI-PAMUKKALE UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, no.30, pp.79-90, 2011 (ESCI) identifier

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine pre-service mathematics teachers' views about the History of Mathematics course. Descriptive survey method was used in the study. 121 pre-service mathematics teachers from Eskisehir Osmangazi University participated the study. Data sources included a survey instrument to determine the respondents' views about the content and the necessity of the History of Mathematics course. The survey also included demographic information form and one open-ended question. With open-ended question was aimed to determine pre-service mathematics teachers' views about the course. Data were analyzed with quantitative and qualitative methods and descriptive statistics were used. Study results revealed that pre-service mathematics teachers rated the most useful historical knowledge about numbers, geometry and solving equations. But they rated the least useful historical knowledge about vectors, metric system and integral. Also they thought this course gave them historical knowledge about mathematics and they said they would use this historical knowledge in their mathematics classrooms.