Investigation of pre-school teachers' beliefs about mathematics education in terms of their experience and structure of their education

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine pre-school teachers' beliefs about teaching mathematics to young learners. In this context, we compared preschool teachers' beliefs with mathematical learning, talent-development-age appropriateness for mathematical learning, the nature of mathematics, the curriculum, teacher efficacy, and the teacher's role by taking into account the preschool teachers' graduation programs and their experiences. Data was collected from 139 pre-school teachers. The teachers were selected based on their teaching experiences and their graduation programs. A 32-item Likert-type "Belief Scale towards Mathematics Learning and Teaching" was used to determine their views about teaching, and the nature of the pre-school mathematics teachers learning mathematics. The results of an ANOVA test to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between the score averages the of their beliefs and teaching practice time and graduated program, revealed a significant difference among pre-school teachers about mathematics and the role of teachers on teaching. Furthermore, the test revealed that the more experienced teachers have a better understating of the curriculum and the children and indicated a positive change in their opinions in the scale's related section.