Algebra is a Dream? Is It a Game?

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to reveal the perceptions of secondary school mathematics teacher candidates about algebraic thinking through metaphors. The study was conducted with the participation of 160 students on a volunteer basis who study in the department of mathematics teaching in a public university in 2015-2016 education year. In the study, the sentence “algebraic thinking is like …….., because …….” was required to be completed in order to reveal mental structures the students had about algebraic thinking. As a result of the research, it was determined that prospective teachers could produce metaphors related to features such as algebraic thinking and algebra learning. There was categorized such as representation quantities with letters, generalized arithmetic, to analyze the variables in a context, variable, algebraic thinking as patterns, equality and equation. The most used metaphor is in the category of “To analyze the variables in a context”. Metaphors help to associate concepts with everyday life. It is therefore advisable to use it in the field of education in order to ensure that the learning is permanent.

Keywords: Metaphors, algebraic thinking, secondary school mathematics teacher candidates