Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Algebraic Thinking Levels: A Mixed Method Research

Abstract

The study was to assess the algebraic thinking levels of prospective basic education teachers using SOLO taxonomy. Sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used for the study. 250 Pre-service mathematics teachers from four selected colleges of education in the Eastern region of Ghana were purposely sampled for the study. The data were collected with the aid of super item test and unstructured interviews as instruments. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and analysis of variance were used to analyse the quantitative data whereas thematic analysis was employed to analyse the qualitative data. The study revealed that the pre-service teachers showed good algebraic thinking at uni-structural and multi-structural levels of the SOLO taxonomy, but performed abysmally at relational and extended abstract levels. The study recommended that Mathematics tutors at the Colleges of Education in Ghana should use the SOLO model for teaching and evaluation of their students.  This would help improve pre-service teacher algebraic thinking levels early enough for preservice teachers’ overall progress in teaching mathematics after school.