Pre-Service Elementary Mathematics Teachers’ Evaluations of Meetings with Expert and Peer Participation Based on van Hiele Geometric Thinking Levels

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to present the pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ (PEMT) evaluations of meetings with expert and peer participation based on van Hiele geometric thinking levels (vHGTL). The case study method was used and the study group of the research consists of three PEMT who are studying in the third year of a state university. Data were collected with meeting records, reflection reports of the PEMTs, researcher’s field notes and interviews and were analyzed simultaneously by two researchers to ensure coding reliability with content analysis method. As a result of the research, it was seen that there was a positive change in PEMTs’ criteria for determining vHGTL. It was determined that they had difficulties in clearly distinguishing the differences between the levels at the beginning, and that in the last meetings, they insisted on the criteria related to the levels they determined and made more accurate determinations about the levels. As a matter of fact, the teacher candidates also stated that meetings enabled them to determine the achievements’, solved and unsolved problems’ vHGTL better. In addition, they stated that allowing them to freely express their ideas in meetings contributed to their professional development in geometry teaching knowledge. Suggestions regarding experts and peers participatory meetings were presented.