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Main Article Content
Examining Gender Differences in Pre-Service-Teachers’ Values in the Learning and Teaching of Mathematics
Matilda Sarpong Adusei
Abstract
The study aimed to examine the values pre-service-teachers possess in the learning and teaching of mathematics in Ghana. The study population comprised all students in the 46 public CoE in Ghana. Guided by a cross-sectional survey research design, a multistage sampling strategy was used to recruit 2,460 participants for the study. The validated “What I Find Important (WIFI) in my mathematics learning” instrument was employed for data collection. A principal component analysis of the pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) ratings of items in the WIFI questionnaire yielded six value dimensions about the learning and teaching of mathematics, namely, conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, strategy, connections, ICT integration, and learner control. The PSTs’ mean rating ratings of the value dimensions were further analyzed for differences in gender using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The results revealed no statistically significant difference between female and male on all the PSTs’ value dimensions in the learning and teaching of mathematics, suggesting gender does not influence (PSTs) values in the learning and teaching of mathematics. This study recommends mathematics teacher educators in colleges of education should create learning environments and experiences that will ensure not only the development of PSTs knowledge of mathematics for teaching but also their values in its learning and teaching.
