EXAMINATION OF THE PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE OF MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

Abstract

Mathematics education consists of numerous factors, and a vital factor is teachers. Therefore, well-trained teachers play a crucial role in the education system. In this context, the pedagogical content knowledge of teachers forms a vital foundation for effective mathematics teaching. The study aimed to examine the pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics teachers. Forty-one mathematics teachers took part in this study. The qualitative research method was applied and eight open-ended questions were asked for data gathering purposes. The content and descriptive analysis methods were used for data analysis. The study showed that the instructional explanations of teachers were typically at their strumental level (content-level). Accordingly, it can be conferred that teachers lack the sufficient level of conceptual knowledge required for the effective mathematics teaching that is the aim of  the curriculum. Therefore, it was suggested that teachers develop their pedagogical content knowledge through in-service courses in line with curriculum targets.

Keywords: Instructional explanations, mathematics teaching, pedagogical content knowledge

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