Approaches of Science Teacher Candidates to Errors in Regarding the Concepts of General Mathematics

Abstract

The teacher must, first of all, have a good knowledge of mathematics to detect the errors in the student’s mathematical knowledge and to identify the general situation in the classroom. This depends on the mathematical knowledge gained in the teacher training schools. General mathematics topics occupying an important place in the departments of mathematics and science education form the basis for a better understanding and comprehension of subsequent mathematics and science topics (Gökçek & Açıkyıldız, 2015).In this study, approaches of teacher candidates to errors in the questions on limits, derivatives, integrals, and asymptotes were determined as the case of the research. Perspectives regarding this case were examined in detail in line with the candidates’ answers to the questions “what, how, why” and presented to the reader (Yin, 1984).Participants of the study consisted of sixty first-year students studying in the Department of Science Education of a university in Central Anatolia. In the research, a knowledge test consisting of six open-ended questions was used as the data collection tool.