Factors Associated with Prospective Teachers’ Achievement in Quadrilateral Definitions: An Exploration of Background Characteristics

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships among prospective middle school mathematics teachers’ background variables and their achievement in defining special quadrilaterals. The participants of the study were 184 prospective teachers (49 males and 135 females) from four intact classes (38 freshmen, 50 sophomores, 49 juniors, and 47 seniors). The special quadrilaterals test, the Utley geometry attitude questionnaire, and the background characteristics questionnaire were used to gather data. The results showed that participants had low level of achievement in defining special quadrilaterals. No significant difference was found in their achievement with respect to gender, enrolment in an elective geometry course, and enrolment in a teaching practicum course. On the other hand, their achievement scores differentiated significantly in terms of their year levels. The multiple regression correlation results showed that prospective teachers’ geometry course scores were a significant predictor of their achievement, while CGPAs and geometry attitude scores were not.

Keywords

• special quadrilaterals,background variables,prospective teachers

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