History of Mathematics for Teaching Mathematics: The Case of Indonesian Prospective Teachers' Beliefs and Attitudes

Abstract

The inclusion of History of Mathematics (HoM) in the official mathematics textbook published by Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture became an essential aspect in supporting the national curriculum of mathematics education. This study aimed to examine Indonesian prospective mathematics teachers' pedagogical attitudes and beliefs in using HoM to teach mathematics. 305 prospective teachers from nine universities in Indonesia were involved as the respondents. Data were collected using Questionnaires of Attitude and Belief in using HoM to teach mathematics. The results showed that prospective teachers had positive attitudes and beliefs in using HoM to teach mathematics. However, those who had taken the mathematics history course tent to have a higher score compared to those who had not taken the course yet during their study times. Hence, this study recommends that involving the HoM course is vital in supporting the prospective teachers' learning process as a part of their future professional developments. However, both groups showed low scores in the questionnaire item of self-efficacy beliefs. This implies that teacher education programs should facilitate the improvement of prospective teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and skills, especially of using HoM in teaching mathematics.