Prospective Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge in Mathematics: The Case of Algebra

Habila Elisha Zuya^1,

¹Department of Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, University of Jos, Nigeria

Cite this paper:
Habila Elisha Zuya. Prospective Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge in Mathematics: The Case of Algebra. American Journal of Educational Research. 2017; 5(3):310-315. doi: 10.12691/education-5-3-12

Abstract

The study investigated prospective mathematics teachers’ conceptual and procedural knowledge in algebra. Thirty six prospective teachers participated in the study. The independent variables of conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge were investigated using quantitative methods. A 20-item instrument was used for collecting data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data collected. Specifically, the research questions were answered using the means and standard deviations, while the hypothesis was tested by conducting a paired t-test of difference. One of the findings of the study was the low performance of the respondents on conceptual knowledge test as against their performance on procedural knowledge test. The respondents differed significantly in their performances on conceptual and procedural knowledge, and the difference was in favor of procedural knowledge. It was recommended that teachers should give equal attention to both teaching of concepts and procedures in mathematics.

Keywords:
conceptual knowledge procedural knowledge algebra prospective teachers

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