Prospective Elementary Teachers' Conceptions of Rational Numbers

Dina Tirosh, School of Education, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

Efraim Fischbein, School of Education, Tel-Aviv University, Israel

Anna O. Graeber, College of Education, University of Maryland, USA

James W. Wilson, College of Education, University of Georgia, USA

August 8, 1998


The United State-Israel Binational Science Foundation

This research was supported by the United States-Israel Binational Science Grants (#88-00213/1) and (#92-00276). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of this foundation.


Project 1

Conceptual Adjustments in Progressing from Whole to Non-negative Rational Numbers

The Conceptual Adjustments in Progressing from Whole to Non-negative Rational Numbers project was funded by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, and four principal investigators were: James Wilson, from the University of Georgia, Anna Graeber, from the University of Maryland, and Efraim Fischbein and Dina Tirosh, from Tel-Aviv University.

 

The Main Goals of the Project

The four main aims of this project were:

1. To understand children's and prospective elementary teachers' conceptions of rational numbers.

2. To develop didactic approaches aimed at helping prospective teachers extend their own mathematical conceptions of rational numbers and their knowledge about children's ways of thinking about them.

3. To involve prospective teachers in activities that encourage them to expand their notion of mathematics as a human activity.

4. To help prospective teachers decrease their mathematics anxiety and raise their confidence in their mathematics ability.


Project 2

Using Multiple Representations to Enhance Teachers' Mathematical, Pedagogical and Curricular Knowledge of Rational Numbers

The Using Multiple Representations to Enhance Teachers' Mathematical, Pedagogical and Curricular Knowledge of Rational Numbers project is funded by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, and four principal investigators are: James Wilson, from the University of Georgia, Anna Graeber, from the University of Maryland, and Efraim Fischbein and Dina Tirosh, from Tel-Aviv University.

The Main Goals of the Project

1. To provide a comprehensive description of prospective teachers mathematical, pedagogical and curricular knowledge of rational numbers.

2. To develop teaching strategies for enhancing teachers' mathematical, pedagogical and curricular knowledge of rational numbers and to evaluate the impact of these strategies.

3. To explore the potential that multiple representations of rational numbers have as a means of investigating teachers' mathematical, pedagogical and curricular knowledge of rational numbers and to investigate the use of multiple representations in facilitating growth of teachers' rational number knowledge.


Reports

1.Prospective Elementary Teachers' Conceptions of Rational Number

2. A Teaching Module on Rational Number for Prospective Elementary Teachers
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