The perceptions of multiple representation of the us and turkish mathematics teachers

Abstract

Teacher perception is one of the most important factors determining classroom teaching practices. Multiple representations are used extensively in mathematics classrooms, especially in developing conceptual understanding. The data in this study, which aims to compare Turkish and US middle school mathematics teachers' perceptions of multiple representations, were obtained from interviews with four Turkish and three US mathematics teachers with different teaching experiences. The semi-structured interviews focused on teachers' perceptions of role, usage and importance of multiple representations. The study also compares Turkish and US teacher’s perceptions about the representations in teaching and learning mathematics. While Turkish and US teachers share general perceptions of multiple representations, key differences exist—especially in how representations contribute to the concretization of mathematical concepts. According to the different practices in integrating multiple representations into instructional processes across countries, Turkish teachers emphasized more symbolic and daily lifebased representations, while US teachers emphasized more on concrete materials, visual representations, and the use of technology. The results of the study comparing perceptions of representation suggest that teachers have needs for professional development.