STRUCTURAL MODEL OF BELIEFS, CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE AMONG TRAINEE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

Year 2016, Volume: 4 , 205 - 209, 01.09.2016

Mazlini Adnan Effandi Zakarıa

Abstract

Beliefs,
conceptual knowledge and experience play important roles in enhancing the
quality and effectiveness of the teaching and learning of mathematics. As such,
this study is conducted with the aim of profiling three main constructs, namely
beliefs, conceptual knowledge and experience among trainee mathematics
teachers. The study is also intended to produce a measurement model of these
constructs and subsequently a structural model that incorporates all the hidden
and observed variables. 317 trainee teachers from six Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) (public universities) were randomly selected to participate
in this study. Beliefs, conceptual knowledge and experience are measured using
mathematical beliefs questionnaire (MBQ), mathematical experience questionnaire
(MEQ) and a test of conceptual knowledge (TCK), focusing on the topic of
fractions. The structural model shows that there is a weak correlation between
mathematical beliefs and mathematical experience; a very weak correlation
between conceptual knowledge and mathematical beliefs; and a very weak
correlation between conceptual knowledge and mathematical experience. In
addition, SEM analysis shows that there is a significant contribution of the
four variables on the mathematics beliefs of the trainee teachers. Furthermore,
regression coefficient of mathematics content knowledge experience of the respondents is
the highest among regression coefficients of the predictor variables.

Keywords

Beliefs, conceptual knowledge, experience, trainee mathematics teachers

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