Preservice teacher belief on nature of mathematics and mathematics teaching and tearning: a quantitative study

Abstract

A quantitative study aims to investigate preservice teacher’s beliefs in mathematics and mathematics teaching and learning. The participants were 103 preservice mathematics teachers who were studying at the Musamus University of Merauke. The TBTP questionnaire was used to measure the beliefs of preservice teachers. The results showed that there were differences in the beliefs of preservice teachers when teaching in classes dominated by high ability students and low ability students. Preservice teachers tend to have platonist beliefs when teaching in high ability classes and when teaching in low ability classes preservice teachers have instrumentalist beliefs. Most preservice teachers have instrumentalist beliefs in mathematics. The implications of the study provide recommendations for teacher educators to change the beliefs of preservice mathematics teachers into problem-solving views.