Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explored the number sense of 47 final year primary school pre-service teachers in Namibia
and was motivated by the poor performance of Namibian primary school learners in both national and
international standardised assessment tests. The literature review revealed that learner performance is
linked to teacher subject knowledge (Ball, 1990, Ma, 1999) and that teachers’ confidence in doing and
teaching mathematics influences the way they teach and their willingness to learn mathematics (Ball,
1990; Graven 2004). Number sense studies of pre-service teachers (Kaminski, 1997; Tsao, 2004;
Veloo, 2010; Yang, Reys & Reys, 2009) have indicated that the development of number sense should
be a focus of primary pre-service teacher education. The data in this mixed method research design were obtained from a Number Sense Questionnaire, a
Written Computations Questionnaire and a Mental Calculations Questionnaire. These questionnaires
were adapted from instruments developed by Professor Der-Ching Yang for 6th and 8th grade learners
in Taiwan. Teacher confidence was measured by the McAnallen Confidence in Mathematics and
Mathematics Teaching Survey. Six randomly selected pre-service teachers were interviewed to
determine their use of number-sensible strategies.
The correlation analysis shows a strong relationship between number sense and mental calculations;
between number sense and confidence in both the ability to do and the ability to teach mathematics and
between mental and written calculations.
The overall results of this study reveal that the final year primary pre-service teachers demonstrate
limited number sense and possess very few of the indicators of number sense that were described by
Kalchman, Moss and Case (2001). The findings expose a lack of conceptual understanding of the
domain numbers and operations, particularly in the domain of rational numbers and the operations of
multiplication and division. The pre-service teachers have little or no access to a variety of flexible
number-sensible strategies to solve problems and calculate mentally. They lack the fluency in basic
facts and procedures to perform written calculations efficiently and correctly. Unexpectedly, the
analysis of the confidence survey shows that they are confident in both their ability to do mathematics
and their ability to teach mathematics.
It is recommended that mental calculations and computational estimation should become a focus of
primary school mathematics education. Institutions responsible for teacher training should develop the
number sense of pre-service teachers and research effective and long-term professional development
programmes. The confidence and willingness of the teachers to learn can be used as an important
resource. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die getalbegrip van 47 finale jaar primêre skool voordiens-onderwysers in
Namibië en is gemotiveer deur die swak prestasie van die Namibiese primêre skool leerlinge in beide
nasionale en internasionale gestandaardiseerde assesseringstoetse. Die literatuurstudie het aan die lig
gebring dat leerlinge se prestasie gekoppel is aan onderwyservakkennis (Ball, 1990, Ma, 1999) en dat
onderwysers se vertroue in hulle vermoë om wiskunde te doen en te onderrig, die manier waarop hulle
onderrig en hul bereidwilligheid om wiskunde te leer beïnvloed (Ball, 1990, Graven 2004 ). Studies
van voordiens primêre onderwysers se getalbegrip (Kaminski, 1997; Tsao, 2004; Veloo, 2010; Yang,
Reys & Reys, 2009) toon dat die ontwikkeling van getalbegrip 'n fokus van primêre voordiensonderwyseropleiding
behoort te wees.
Die data in hierdie gemengde metode navorsing is verkry uit 'n Getalbegrip, 'n Skriftelike Berekeninge
en 'n Hoofrekene Vraelys. Hierdie vraelyste is gebaseer op die instrumente wat ontwikkel is deur
Professor Der-Ching Yang vir graad 6 en 8 leerlinge in Taiwan. Onderwyservertroue is gemeet deur
die McAnallen Confidence in Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching Survey. Ses ewekansig
geselekteerde voordiens-onderwysers is ondervra om te bepaal watter sinvolle strategieë hulle gebruik
om vrae oor getalbegrip te beantwoord.
Die korrelasie-analise toon 'n sterk verband tussen getalbegrip en hoofrekene; tussen getalbegrip en
vertroue in die vermoë om wiskunde te doen en te leer, en tussen vermoë om hoofrekene en skriftelike
bewerkinge te doen.
Die algehele resultate van hierdie studie dui daarop dat die finale jaar primêre voordiens-onderwysers
oor beperkte getalbegrip en baie min van die aanwysers van getalbegrip wat deur Kalchman, Moss en
Case (2001) beskryf is, beskik. Die bevindinge toon ‘n gebrek aan begrip van die domein van getalle
en bewerkings, veral in die domein van rasionale getalle en die bewerkings vermenigvuldiging en
deling. Die voordiens-onderwysers beskik oor min of geen soepel strategieë om probleme op te los en
hoofrekene te doen nie. Hulle beskik nie oor die vlotheit in basiese feite en bewerkings om skriftelike
berekeninge doeltreffend en korrek uit te voer nie. Die vertroue wat voordiens-onderwysers
uitgespreek het in hulle vermoë om wiskunde te doen en onderrig staan in sterk teenstelling met hierdie
bevindige. Dit word aanbeveel dat hoofrekene en skatting 'n fokus van primêre skool wiskunde-onderwys behoort
te wees. Instansies gemoeid met onderwyseropleiding behoort die getalbegrip van voordiensonderwysers
te onwikkel en navorsing te doen oor effektiewe en lang-termyn programme vir
professionele ontwikkeling. Onderwysers se vertroue en bereidwilligheid om te leer kan as 'n
belangrike hulpbron gebruik word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19943 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Courtney-Clarke, Magret Anna Eugenie |
| Contributors | Wessels, H. M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xii, 144 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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