Improving Pre-Service Teachers’ Performance in the Teaching of Common Fraction Using Cuisenaire Rods

Abstract

This research study was undertaken to assess the difficulties pre-service teachers face using Cuisenaire Rods in teaching Common Fractions and how often these concrete models are used in their mathematics lessons. The extent of pupils’ participation and understanding the basic concept of common fractions, the student-teachers’ preference of using Cuisenaire Rods as against the use of fractional rules in teaching common fractions formed the integral part of the research study. Action research design was used for this study. The design allows the researcher to obtain answers to the questions raised directly from the respondents. The target population was pre-service teachers of Berekum College of Education. Random sampling procedure was used to select 50 student-teachers and JHS2 pupils as sample for the study so as to enhance the validity and generalization of the result. Observation of student-teachers’ teaching practices, model teaching by the researcher, questionnaire, and interviews granted to pupils on the study of common fraction on the use of Cuisenaire Rods were among the research instruments used. Descriptive statistics in terms of frequencies with their percentages were also used in analyzing the data obtained from the questionnaire. The research findings revealed that the use of Cuisenaire Rods to teach Common Fractions stimulates motivates and arouses the interest of learners to participate fully in the teaching and learning process. This helps pupils to actively partake in learning basic concepts in mathematics whenever concrete models were used in the lesson presentation. The research findings strongly indicated that no matter how different the pre-service teachers are prepared; the competencies of teacher education in our contemporary world would much depend on student-teachers’ teaching methods and teaching practices that can bring real meaning into the lives of their pupils. It is recommended that the supply of mathematics syllabus into the Colleges of Education should be accompanied with adequate teaching and learning aids for pre-service teachers. This would allow them to receive sufficient pre-training in all aspects of the curriculum before becoming professional teachers DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-9-01 Publication date :March 31 st 2019