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Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Rational Numbers in E. P. College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana

Received: 26 May 2021    Accepted: 16 June 2021    Published: 16 July 2021
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Abstract

This study investigated Pre-Service Teachers’ mastery level, achievements differences, and correlation of their procedural knowledge and conceptual knowledge of rational numbers. The population of the study was four hundred and twenty-nine (429) level 100 Pre-Service Teachers of Evangelical Presbyterian College of Education, Bimbilla. Descriptive research design was used, where both convenient and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select a sample of 75. Out of the sample, 11 were females and 64 males representing 14.67% and 85.33% respectively. The instrument used was test items on conceptual and procedural knowledge on rational numbers designed by the researcher. The researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the quantitative data, so as to answer the four research questions. The findings of the study indicated that the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge mastery levels were at average-low and high–average levels respectively. Also, there was a significant difference between conceptual and procedural knowledge in rational numbers in favor of procedural knowledge with very high effect size. There was a weak positive correlation and no significant relationship between the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge in rational numbers. The study recommended that College Tutors should be encouraged to adopt teaching methods and strategies that focus more on conceptual knowledge in rational numbers. Also, College Tutors evaluation exercises or assessment items should be balanced between conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge because at the moment most assessment items are based on procedural knowledge to the neglect of conceptual knowledge assessment.

Published in Education Journal (Volume 10, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13
Page(s) 126-137
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Conceptual Knowledge, Procedural Knowledge, Pre-service Teachers (PSTs), Rational Numbers

References
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[4] Depaepe, F., Torbeyns, J., Vermeersch, N., Janssens, D., Janssen, R., Kelchtermans, G., Lieven Verschaffel, L., & Dooren, W. (2014). Teachers' content and pedagogical content knowledge on rational numbers: A comparison of prospective elementary and lower secondary school teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education, 47, 83-92.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Anas Seidu Salifu. (2021). Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Rational Numbers in E. P. College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana. Education Journal, 10(4), 126-137. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13

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    ACS Style

    Anas Seidu Salifu. Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Rational Numbers in E. P. College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana. Educ. J. 2021, 10(4), 126-137. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13

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    AMA Style

    Anas Seidu Salifu. Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Rational Numbers in E. P. College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana. Educ J. 2021;10(4):126-137. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13,
      author = {Anas Seidu Salifu},
      title = {Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge of Rational Numbers in E. P. College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana},
      journal = {Education Journal},
      volume = {10},
      number = {4},
      pages = {126-137},
      doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20211004.13},
      abstract = {This study investigated Pre-Service Teachers’ mastery level, achievements differences, and correlation of their procedural knowledge and conceptual knowledge of rational numbers. The population of the study was four hundred and twenty-nine (429) level 100 Pre-Service Teachers of Evangelical Presbyterian College of Education, Bimbilla. Descriptive research design was used, where both convenient and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select a sample of 75. Out of the sample, 11 were females and 64 males representing 14.67% and 85.33% respectively. The instrument used was test items on conceptual and procedural knowledge on rational numbers designed by the researcher. The researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the quantitative data, so as to answer the four research questions. The findings of the study indicated that the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge mastery levels were at average-low and high–average levels respectively. Also, there was a significant difference between conceptual and procedural knowledge in rational numbers in favor of procedural knowledge with very high effect size. There was a weak positive correlation and no significant relationship between the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge in rational numbers. The study recommended that College Tutors should be encouraged to adopt teaching methods and strategies that focus more on conceptual knowledge in rational numbers. Also, College Tutors evaluation exercises or assessment items should be balanced between conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge because at the moment most assessment items are based on procedural knowledge to the neglect of conceptual knowledge assessment.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    AU  - Anas Seidu Salifu
    Y1  - 2021/07/16
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13
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    T2  - Education Journal
    JF  - Education Journal
    JO  - Education Journal
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    EP  - 137
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20211004.13
    AB  - This study investigated Pre-Service Teachers’ mastery level, achievements differences, and correlation of their procedural knowledge and conceptual knowledge of rational numbers. The population of the study was four hundred and twenty-nine (429) level 100 Pre-Service Teachers of Evangelical Presbyterian College of Education, Bimbilla. Descriptive research design was used, where both convenient and purposive sampling techniques were employed to select a sample of 75. Out of the sample, 11 were females and 64 males representing 14.67% and 85.33% respectively. The instrument used was test items on conceptual and procedural knowledge on rational numbers designed by the researcher. The researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the quantitative data, so as to answer the four research questions. The findings of the study indicated that the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge mastery levels were at average-low and high–average levels respectively. Also, there was a significant difference between conceptual and procedural knowledge in rational numbers in favor of procedural knowledge with very high effect size. There was a weak positive correlation and no significant relationship between the Pre-Service Teachers’ conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge in rational numbers. The study recommended that College Tutors should be encouraged to adopt teaching methods and strategies that focus more on conceptual knowledge in rational numbers. Also, College Tutors evaluation exercises or assessment items should be balanced between conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge because at the moment most assessment items are based on procedural knowledge to the neglect of conceptual knowledge assessment.
    VL  - 10
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Mathematics & Information Communication Technology Education, Evangelical Presbyterian College of Education, Bimbilla, Ghana

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