INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BELIEF LEVELS OF THE PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS ON LEARNING MATHEMATICS AND THEIR BELIEFS ON PROBLEM SOLVING

Abstract

Mathematics is a method of thinking and a science that is formed in our minds through reasoning in
life that supports the adaptation of the individual to life. It is not only a discipline consisting of
numbers, formulas, operations and certain rules, but also allows us to solve various problems in our
daily life. In this sense, the perspectives of primary school teachers, who are one of the important
parts of education and are very effective on students, about mathematics, their mathematics
education, their belief in learning mathematics and their problem solving skills are very important.
In this study, the relationship between primary school prospective teachers' beliefs in learning
mathematics and their beliefs in solving mathematical problems was examined. Relational survey
model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. A total of 305 classroom
prospective teachers, 216 of whom were female and 88 were male, participated in the study. The
previously developed Belief to Learn Mathematics and Belief to Solve Mathematical Problems
scales were used as data collection tools. As a result of the study, it was concluded that there was a
positive but very weak relationship between the answers given by the primary school prospective
teachers to the scale of belief in learning mathematics and their answers to the belief in
mathematical problem solving. The factors that cause this result can be suggested as the subject of
other studies.