Abstract
This study investigated Pre-Service Teachers’ mastery level, achievements differences, and correlation of their procedural knowledge and conceptual knowledge of rational numbers. The population of the study was four hundred and twenty-nine (429) level 100 Pre-Service Teachers of Evangelical Presbyterian College of Education, Bimbilla. Descriptive research design was used, where both convenient and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select a sample of 75. Out of the sample, 11 were females and 64 males representing 14.67% and 85.33% respectively. The instrument used was test items on conceptual and procedural knowledge on rational numbers designed by the researcher. The researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the quantitative data, so as to answer the four research questions. The findings of the study indicated that the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge mastery levels were at average-low and high–average levels respectively. Also, there was a significant difference between conceptual and procedural knowledge in rational numbers in favor of procedural knowledge with very high effect size. There was a weak positive correlation and no significant relationship between the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge in rational numbers. The study recommended that College Tutors should be encouraged to adopt teaching methods and strategies that focus more on conceptual knowledge in rational numbers. Also, College Tutors evaluation exercises or assessment items should be balanced between conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge because at the moment most assessment items are based on procedural knowledge to the neglect of conceptual knowledge assessment.
Highlights
The Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2019 entreated teachers to ensure that students acquire mathematical knowledge and understanding through investigations, exploration, estimation, problem solving, project work and seminar presentation which will yield conceptual knowledge for students to be competent and skillful to solve problems and task in mathematics
One item was adopted from [6] study while the rest of the items were developed by the researcher making a total of 20 questions, 10 each of conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge in rational numbers as in appendix A
There was a significant difference in achievements between conceptual and procedural knowledge in rational numbers in favor of the procedural knowledge
Summary
The Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2019 entreated teachers to ensure that students acquire mathematical knowledge and understanding through investigations, exploration, estimation, problem solving, project work and seminar presentation which will yield conceptual knowledge for students to be competent and skillful to solve problems and task in mathematics. The Ghanaian current curriculum 2018 has provided strategies for teaching and learning of Mathematics, that is fun and challenging for all grade levels These strategies include (i) discussions of concepts and misconceptions, (ii) investigations to arrive at generalizations, (iii) problem-solving strategies, (iv) collaborative activities (think-pair-share), (v) multiple representations (Principle of multiple embodiment), (vi) establishing connections between and among related concepts, and (vii) using mathematical explorations, transitioning from number patterns to algebraic ideas. The T-TEL intervention designed the 2018 new curriculum and ensured its implementation, placed more emphasis on both conceptual and procedural knowledge teaching and learning. It is in this light that, this study hinges on because rational number is taught in the first semester of level 100. For an effective classroom work, Anas Seidu Salifu: Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Rational
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