İlköğretim Matematik Öğretmen Adaylarının Metin Dışı Öğelerin İşlevlerine Yönelik Görüşleri: Cebir Öğrenme Alanına Ait Durum Çalışması

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate how pre-service elementary mathematics teachers perceive the intended use of non-textual elements in an algebra content area of an eighth-grade mathematics textbook. Non-textual elements in this qualitative exploratory case study refer to visual representations consisting of components that are not only verbal, numerical, or symbolic representations. Data were collected from thirty-one undergraduate students through a task-based written questionnaire including seven non-textual elements on the algebra learning domain. Data analysis was conducted using a content analysis approach to generate themes and uncover previously unspecified patterns. The results showed that pre-service teachers’ interpretations of non-textual elements could be categorized into ten themes: (i) attractiveness, (ii) organizing, (iii) embodiment, (iv) informativeness, (v) reasoning, (vi) conciseness, (vii) essentiality, (viii) decorativeness, (ix) contextuality, and (x) connectivity. Pre-service teachers were found to have diverse but sometimes overlapping interpretations of the functions of each non-textual element. However, the functional diversity of non-textual elements may have differentiated their interpretations, as visual literacy skills and strategies are required to interpret the intended use of non-textual elements. Therefore, in order for pre-service mathematics teachers to better understand the functions of non-textual elements, various teaching approaches should be developed to support pre-service teachers’ visual literacy, and these approaches to visual literacy should be incorporated into teacher education and professional development.