Pre-service Secondary School Teachers’ Knowledge in Mathematical Modelling – A Case Study

Abstract

This paper reports an exploratory study which examined how a group of pre-service secondary school mathematics teachers’ knowledge in mathematical modelling was shaped by their independent modelling experiences. It also determined the pre-service teachers’ views on teaching mathematical modelling. The findings show that independent modelling experiences with reflection activities had enabled the pre-service teachers to acquire knowledge on the important elements of modelling activities in the various stages of the modelling process. The pre-service teachers’ views on teaching mathematical modelling were mainly limited to the scientific-humanistic perspective. Implications for these findings on mathematical modelling instructional practice were discussed.