A prominent German mathematician Felix Klein pointed out the gap between preservice mathematics teacher education in college and secondary school mathematics, which he described as the double discontinuity. Preservice mathematics teachers experience o...
A prominent German mathematician Felix Klein pointed out the gap between preservice mathematics teacher education in college and secondary school mathematics, which he described as the double discontinuity. Preservice mathematics teachers experience one discontinuity in college, where they learn pure mathematics at a different level from secondary school mathematics. They experience the other discontinuity when they become secondary mathematics teachers, where they teach traditional secondary school mathematics based on the mathematics they learned in secondary school while forgetting about pure mathematics learned in college.
It has been consistently argued that preservice mathematics teacher education should be closely aligned with school practice to help preservice mathematics teachers overcome the double discontinuity, and several scholars, led by Nicholas H. Wasserman, have developed preservice mathematics teacher education modules to gradually bridge the gap between college mathematics and school mathematics.
Among pure mathematics courses that preservice mathematics teachers encounter in college, modern algebra has a large content and format gap with school algebra, making it difficult for preservice mathematics teachers to effectively apply their algebraic knowledge to school mathematics instruction, even though they study modern algebra in college. To help preservice mathematics teachers with this challenge, Nicholas H. Wasserman and Patrick Galarza have been working on developing a modern algebra education module for preservice mathematics teachers, but it is limited to connecting a few basic concepts of modern algebra to school mathematics.
Therefore, this study aimed to develop a preservice teacher education module on algebraic equation solving as a background for the development of modern algebra, to help preservice teachers connect equation solving content learned in secondary school with modern algebra content learned in college, and to enhance preservice teachers' motivation to learn modern algebra. To achieve the study objectives, the following two research questions were set and answered. First, how can an equation-solving education module for preservice mathematics teacher be designed? Second, what is the impact of the designed education module on preservice mathematics teachers' understanding of polynomial equation solving and motivation for learning modern algebra?
To answer the first research question, we designed an initial module based on the existing education module structure. We set up a virtual school situation where preservice teachers could directly experience the connection between modern algebra and solving polynomial equations in school mathematics, and structured the education module to provide polynomial equation-solving knowledge and modern algebra knowledge that would directly help them respond to the virtual school situation. The initial module was tested with two preservice mathematics teachers, and expert review opinions were collected from two inservice mathematics teachers and two algebra education experts. The module was revised to reflect the improvements identified based on the results of the module experiment and the expert review opinions.
To answer the second research question, we conducted an experiment with five preservice mathematics teachers using the revised module and analyzed the module's impact on the preservice mathematics teachers' understanding of polynomial equation solving and their motivation to learn modern algebra by observing their responses during the experiment. Additionally, a survey was conducted before and after the module implementation to measure the preservice mathematics teachers' motivation for learning modern algebra, and the changes in the survey results before and after the module implementation were observed.
The results of the module experiment and survey showed that the designed education module was effective in improving preservice mathematics teachers' understanding of polynomial equation solving and strengthening their motivation to learn modern algebra. In the module experiment, it was observed that preservice mathematics teachers systematically applied various equation-solving knowledge in virtual school situations after learning modern algebra knowledge related to polynomial equation solving. Feedback from preservice mathematics teachers who participated in the module experiment indicated that participants found the education module beneficial and interesting, and that their motivation to learn modern algebra had improved. Survey results that quantified the state of motivation for learning modern algebra also showed that preservice mathematics teachers' motivation for learning modern algebra had improved after experiencing the module.
The education module developed in this study helps preservice mathematics teachers understand the direct connection between modern algebra and secondary school algebra and realize the significance of studying modern algebra. It also helps inservice teachers understand the connection between secondary school algebra and modern algebra that they learned in the past, thereby supporting preservice and inservice mathematics teachers in overcoming their double discontinuity. It is hoped that the development of such an education module will expose preservice mathematics teachers to a variety of mathematical pedagogical aspects related to modern algebra, which will gradually change the perception of modern algebra as esoteric and less related to school mathematics.