Mathematical Thinking Among Pre-Service Teachers: A Critical Component of Teacher Preparation

Abstract

This research examined pre-service mathematics teachers' mathematical thinking abilities, focusing on problem-solving, mathematical representation, reasoning, mathematical communication, and mathematical connection. Additionally, the study aimed to determine whether there were significant differences in mathematical thinking between pre-service students majoring and minoring in mathematics. The research employed a quantitative approach and involved 277 pre-service mathematics teachers enrolled in the Mathematics Teaching course at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Malaysia. The research design utilized a survey method, and data were collected through a mathematical thinking questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using statistic descriptive including mean and standard deviation, while inferential statistics use t-test analyses. The study results revealed that the overall mean is 4.506, followed by standard deviation is 0.541, indicating that the pre-service teachers show a higher positive mathematical thinking. The result also shows a significant relationship between problem-solving, mathematical representation, reasoning, mathematical communication and mathematical connection. The findings also indicated significant differences in mathematical thinking between pre-service mathematics teachers based on gender. Lastly, the result shows that the study recommended the inclusion of mathematical thinking development in teacher education programs to enhance the mathematical thinking abilities of pre-service mathematics teachers. In conclusion, mathematical thinking is an essential aspect of teacher preparation, as it contributes to ensuring the quality of the next generation.