Teachers’ mathematics pedagogical content knowledge and quality of early mathematics instruction in Turkey
Maide Orcan-Kacan, Neslihan Dedeoglu-Aktug, Muhammet M. Alpaslan
Abstract
It is a well-known fact that societies today need to provide quality mathematics education to individuals from their early years in order to compete on a global scale. Although there is a growing interest in early mathematics, there are still some obstacles regarding quality mathematics instruction. Two of the most important obstacles are the mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK) and early mathematics teacher qualification of pre-school teachers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pre-school teachers’ classroom mathematics practices and their MPCK. The study included 55 pre-school teachers. Classroom Observation of Early Mathematics – Environment and Teaching (COEMET) was adapted into Turkish. The teachers’ MPCK was assessed using the Survey of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Early Childhood Mathematics (SPECKECM). The results show that the teachers’ MPCK was at a medium level, being most successful regarding shapes and least in patterns. The COEMET scores were positively and statistically significantly correlated to the total score of the SPECKECM. Moreover, teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) scores successfully predicted the total COEMET scores.
https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v43n4a2289
ORCiD iDs of authors:
Maide Orcan-Kacan – https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1415-437X
Neslihan Dedeoglu-Aktug - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9226-9933
Muhammet M. Alpaslan - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4222-7468
https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v43n4a2289
ORCiD iDs of authors:
Maide Orcan-Kacan – https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1415-437X
Neslihan Dedeoglu-Aktug - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9226-9933
Muhammet M. Alpaslan - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4222-7468
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