Research Information System
Buca Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, no.56, pp.949-973, 2023 (TRDizin)
This study aimed to assess the knowledge levels of pre-service teachers specializing in secondary school mathematics regarding the fundamental concepts of algebra and analyze them based on various variables. The research was conducted with 151 pre-service teachers enrolled in a Primary Education Mathematics Teaching program at a state university, using the convenience sampling method. A case study approach was employed to gather data, involving nine open-ended questions designed by the researcher. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques were applied to analyze the data. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers specializing in secondary school mathematics exhibited inadequate knowledge of the basic concepts of algebra and their interrelationships. It was observed that their understanding of algebra improved as they progressed to higher grade levels, influenced by the courses taken during their undergraduate education, although it did not reach a high level of proficiency. Furthermore, although the gender difference did not significantly impact the pre-service teachers' algebra knowledge levels, the mean algebra scores of female participants were found to be higher than those of their male counterparts.