International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
4) Some students could not differ between interpretation and validation. (Maaß, 2006, p. 135)
The study conducted by Maaß (2006) focuses on the misconceptions of students about the “validation”
concept rather than misconceptions students have during the model validation process. This study will focus on
the misconceptions within the process of eliciting a model.
In order for the mathematics teaching style the center of which is doing mathematics and matematizing to
become common, teachers must have sufficient competence in modelling. This is because teachers of the future
will create a radical innovation. If teachers and pre-service teachers have sufficient mathematical modelling
competence, they will probably try to equip student with the same competences. Thus, determining the preservice
teachers` misconceptions during the modelling process is important to carry out work to eliminate these
misconceptions. In sum, “The purpose of this study is to determine the pre-service math teachers’
misconceptions on model validation process, which has an important part of the mathematical modeling
process”.
METHOD
Since the study aims to summarize an existing situation, the case study, one of the descriptive research
methods, was adopted. In accordance with this method, pre-service teacher were assigned to elicit a model, and
existing situation was not interfered with when the misconceptions were identified.
Participants
Participants of the study are 40 (30 female, 10 male) elementary pre-service math teachers at the second year
of their four-year mathematics teacher graduate program in Giresun University, Turkey The pre-service teacher
that participated in the study are those out of 80 people in two sections who selected “basic concepts in
mathematics” class. Pre-service teachers have experience in eliciting linear models for data sets composed of
only two data pairs. However, they do not have experience in eliciting linear models for data sets comprised of
more data.
Data Collection Tool
In order to identify the misconceptions on model validation process, considering the instructions about
competence included in the modeling process, a model-eliciting activity was prepared. A pilot study, designed in
accordance with the views of an expert in this domain, was conducted to test the suitability to clarify the
modelling competence. As a result of the pilot study, necessary regulations were put into effect, and the activity
took its final form. Besides, as a result of the pilot study, the amount of time to be given was determined. This
activity aims to elicit a linear model and contains instructions for modelling competence expected to emerge in
the modelling process.
STATISTICS ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
Data on traffic accidents have been compiled by Turkish Statistical
Institute (TUIK) since 1955. The purposes of collecting data on traffic
accidents are to produce statistics on accidents on by-roads and their
consequences, enable international comparisons, obtain information that
will shade light on measures that will be taken by decision makers,
provide data for various research, and meet domestic and foreign
information requests.
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