The Effect of an Elective Algebra Teaching Course on Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Abstract

Effective teachers have knowledge not only of the subject they are teaching, but also of how to teach it appropriately. To develop these aspects of knowledge, faculties of education include a number of courses that address the related skills. From the perspective of mathematics teacher education, courses related to mathematics teaching have come to the forefront in recent years. The current study, in particular, attempted to test whether prospective elementary mathematics teachers' (PEMTs) pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the domain of algebra improved through attendance in a structured elective course. The study was conducted according to a comparison group research design with 155 prospective teachers. The data collection tool consisted of a 20-question algebra pedagogical content knowledge (APCK) test developed by the researchers in consideration of the knowledge for algebra teaching framework of Ferrini-Mundy and colleagues (2005). The results indicated that the PEMTs who took the algebra teaching course performed better than their peers, with statistically significant differences in the various components of algebra teaching knowledge. Given the findings, some implications for mathematics teacher educators are discussed.