Preservice Educators' Perceptions on Manipulatives: The Role of Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy

• In Event: 75.042 - MTCC Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: 75.042-4 - Developing Preservice Teachers' Math Knowledges and Practices

Abstract

In this study we examine how prospective teachers perceive the efficacy of manipulatives and if these perceptions relate to their future use of manipulatives and their mathematics self-efficacy. Survey responses from 97 preservice educators who completed a mathematics method course indicate three essential findings: (1) preservice teachers perceived manipulatives as highly effective for enhancing students’ performance, conceptual knowledge, and affect and reported higher levels of the intended use of manipulatives in their future teaching; (2) both preservice teachers’ mathematics content and teaching self-efficacies were significant negative predictors of the intended use of manipulatives; and (3) preservice educators' perceptions and the intended use of manipulatives is dependent upon their mathematics teaching self-efficacy.

Authors

• Carlos Joe Anguiano, Washington State University

• Kira Joy Carbonneau, Washington State University - Pullman