Developing a Constructive Conceptual Framework of a Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Content Knowledge Instrument on Space and Shape

Abstract

Space and shape is one of the geometry topics that should be mastered by students and require proper teachers’ Mathematics Content Knowledge (MCK) for teaching to avoid misconception. This study aimed at developing a constructive conceptual framework as an instrument to examine mathematics pre-service teachers’ MCK on space and shape contents and describing their profile on this topic. The present study used mixed methods, in which the obtained data were analyzed both quantitatively using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and qualitatively described in nature. The developed MCK instrument was administered to 21 senior Indonesian mathematics pre-service teachers who were in their third year of study which and by a purposive sampling technique. The results showed that the instrument had very good 10 final items with a consistent reliability coefficient of 0.67 and resulted in four factor components, namely, figural representation, area and circumference of object, relationship between properties of objects, and figural reasoning. Of the four factors, figural representation and reasoning factors had mostly been the challenges for Indonesian mathematics pre-service teachers. On the contrary, they performed better in the area and circumference of objects and the relationships between properties of objects. The findings lead to redesigning the curriculum for mathematics pre-service teachers’ learning to accommodate all their challenges.