Prospective Elementary School Teachers’ Understanding of Arithmetical Concepts

Attitudes Toward Mathematics

“…During the past ten years, Dutton (1962Dutton ( , 1965 and others (e.g., Reys & Delon, 1968) have conducted a number of studies concerned with the attitudes of prospective elementary teachers toward mathematics. In a survey at U.C.L.A., Dutton (1962) found that 38% of 127 elementary education majors had unfavorable attitudes toward arithmetic.…”

“…An increase was observed in the percentage of students agreeing with the statements: "Arithmetic is very interesting" and "I like arithmetic because it is practical." Dutton (1965) used a one-group design to assess changes in both attitudes and achievement resulting from intervening instruction. The subjects were 160 prospective elementary teachers, who were administered an arithmetic comprehension test and an attitude scale as pretests and posttests.…”

A Summary of Investigations Relating to Mathematics in Elementary Education: 1965*

“…The study particularly pinpoints the critical factor of leadership in in-service education and the need for follow-up in-service projects to help teachers achieve a desirable level of competence in the subject. Button [10] administered the University of California Arithmetic Comprehension Test and Attitude Scales to 160 prospective elementary school teachers as a pretest and posttest, with intervening instruction. On the test he found the most incorrect answers relating to the meaning of partial products in multiplication; the meaning of remainder in division; placement of the quotient digits; showing the meaning of 3 1^o r 2j ^by diagram; rationalizing place value of the decimal point in addition and multiplication; meaning of a ream; and renaming with denominate numbers.…”

Effects of a videodisc problem solving approach embedded in constructivist-based instruction in mathematics methods course on preservice teachers' decisions about teaching mathematics strategies and attitudes toward mathematics and technologies

“…Therefore methods of helping teachers change or improve in teaching mathematics mxist address more than just their knowledge. Dutton (1961Dutton ( ,1962Dutton ( ,1965 developed an arithmetic scale to conduct research to measure preservice elementary mathematics teachers' attitude toward arithmetic. The reliability of the experimental scale was measured by the test-retest procedure.…”

“…For example, the statement "Arithmetic thrills me and I like it better than other subject" was valued at 10.5 whereas "I detest arithmetic and avoid using it at all times" was valued at 1.0. Dutton (1965)…”