Research Article

INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS

Volume: 23 Number: 89 January 9, 2024
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INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS

Abstract

In recent years, the emphasis on concept teaching and conceptual understanding has played a central role in mathematics education curricula. The conceptualization of number systems is important to understand all areas of mathematics. Considering the difficulties experienced in the conceptualization of real numbers, it is seen that students have difficulty in understanding the relationship between real numbers and other number systems. This study aims to investigate pre-service mathematics teachers' conceptions of the property of completeness, which is the most basic element that distinguishes a real number set from other number systems. To this end, the APOS theory, which reveals the mental structures and mechanisms of the individual regarding a concept, was used. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with three pre-service teachers. The data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method, and the findings were presented under two themes, which are the epistemology of the concept of the property of completeness of real numbers and the mental structures in the schemas related to the property of completeness of real numbers. The findings revealed that the pre-service teachers' conceptions of the property of completeness of real numbers was mostly at the action level. The study found some mental structures such as the representation of rational numbers on a line, which should be included in the genetic decomposition to be created in the context of the APOS theory regarding the completeness of real numbers.

Keywords

References

  1. Arnon, I., Cottrill, J., Dubinsky, E., Oktaç, A., Roa Fuentes, S., Trigueros, M., Weller, K. (2014). APOS Theory: A framework for research and curriculum development in mathematics education. New York: Springer.
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  3. Awodey, S., & Reck, E. H. (2002). Completeness and categoricity, part I: 19th century axiomatics to 20th century metalogic. History and Philosophy of Logic, 23, 1–30.
  4. Berge, A. (2008). The completeness property of the set of real numbers in the transition from calculus to analysis, Educational Studies in Mathematics. 67, pp. 217–235.
  5. Bergé, A. (2010). Students’ perceptions of the completeness property of the set of real numbers. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 41(2), 217–227.
  6. Bosch, M., Gascon, J., & Trigueros, M. (2017). Dialogue between theories interpreted as research praxeologies: the case of APOS and the ATD. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 95, 39–52.
  7. Dubinsky, E. (Eds.) (1991). Reflective abstraction in advanced mathematical thinking, Advanced mathematical thinking (pp. 95-123). Dordrecht. The Netherlands: Kluwer.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Other Fields of Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

December 28, 2023

Publication Date

January 9, 2024

Submission Date

May 23, 2023

Acceptance Date

September 27, 2023

Published in Issue

Year 2024 Volume: 23 Number: 89

APA
Şefik, Ö., & Dost, Ş. (2024). INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 23(89), 81-96. https://doi.org/10.17755/esosder.1300987
AMA
1.Şefik Ö, Dost Ş. INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS. esosder. 2024;23(89):81-96. doi:10.17755/esosder.1300987
Chicago
Şefik, Özgün, and Şenol Dost. 2024. “INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS”. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 23 (89): 81-96. https://doi.org/10.17755/esosder.1300987.
EndNote
Şefik Ö, Dost Ş (January 1, 2024) INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 23 89 81–96.
IEEE
[1]Ö. Şefik and Ş. Dost, “INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS”, esosder, vol. 23, no. 89, pp. 81–96, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.17755/esosder.1300987.
ISNAD
Şefik, Özgün - Dost, Şenol. “INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS”. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 23/89 (January 1, 2024): 81-96. https://doi.org/10.17755/esosder.1300987.
JAMA
1.Şefik Ö, Dost Ş. INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS. esosder. 2024;23:81–96.
MLA
Şefik, Özgün, and Şenol Dost. “INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS”. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, vol. 23, no. 89, Jan. 2024, pp. 81-96, doi:10.17755/esosder.1300987.
Vancouver
1.Özgün Şefik, Şenol Dost. INVESTIGATING PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ CONCEPTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OF COMPLETENESS OF REAL NUMBERS. esosder. 2024 Jan. 1;23(89):81-96. doi:10.17755/esosder.1300987

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