An Exploration of Preservice Teachers Educational Values of Mathematics in Relation to Gender and Attitudes toward Mathematics in Nigeria

Year 2018, Volume: 10 , 203 - 216, 12.09.2018

Awofala, Adeneye O. A.

Abstract

The study investigated educational values of mathematics in
relation to gender and attitudes toward mathematics among 480 Nigerian
preservice mathematics teachers from four universities in Southwest, Nigeria
using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of the descriptive
survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics of
frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics
of independent samples t-test, Pearson moment correlation, and multiple
regression analysis. Findings revealed that preservice mathematics teachers
showed high level of educational value of mathematics. There were significant
possible correlations among preservice mathematics teachers’ practical value,
aesthetic value, cultural value, social value, moral value, disciplinary value,
recreational value, and attitudes toward mathematics. While gender differences
in some dimensions of educational value of mathematics (practical value,
disciplinary value, social value, and cultural value) are no longer important
and are declining there are subtle gender differences in attitudes toward
mathematics and educational values of mathematics in this study. In addition,
73.7% of the variance in preservice teachers’ attitudes toward mathematics was
accounted for by the eight predictor variables (gender, practical or
utilitarian value, disciplinary value, cultural value, social value, moral
value, aesthetic value and recreational value) taken together. Based on this
baseline study, it was thus, recommended that future studies in Nigeria should
investigate the educational value of mathematics of in-service teachers with
varied ethnicity and socio-economic background so as to
generalise the results of this study.

Keywords

Educational values of mathematics, Preservice teachers, Gender, Attitudes toward mathematics

References

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