Preservice Science and Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs about Mathematical Problem Solving

Abstract

Problem solving is one of the core concepts for the learning of mathematics. In recent years cognitive factors which have an impact on problem solving are the subject of researches. Beside the cognitive factors, affective factors are also influential on learning of the mathematics. In these factors beliefs have an important role. Furthermore belief structure influences teachers as well as the students. Beliefs about the problem solving shape the behaviors of teachers in the class. The purpose of this study is to investigate preservice secondary teachers’ beliefs about mathematical problem solving in terms of different variables. The research was conducted in 2011-2012 academic year in a public university of Turkey with 413 preservice physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics teachers from grade levels 1-5. In the study, Beliefs about Mathematical Problem Solving instrument which was developed by Kloosterman and Stage (1992) and adapted in to Turkish by Haciomeroglu (2011) was used. The belief structure of preserve teachers that is investigated through the instrument was examined in terms of different variables like grade levels, fields of the study, grade point average etc.