Developing Pre-service Mathematics Teachers' Metacognitive Thinking for Learning and Teaching with Mobile Technology

Abstract

In the present study, we report the preparation of 24 pre-service teachers who were in their third academic year, majoring in teaching mathematics and computer science in the middle school, for using metacognition in their mathematical problem solving. We used different tools to collect data: The pre-service teachers' solutions' texts of carrying out activities on solving authentic real life mathematical problems that emphasize metacognitive processes, the pre-service teachers' texts for the design and preparation of such activities that encourage students' metacognitive processes, interviews with the pre-service teachers, the discussion texts in the social network sites and observations of the implementation of activities. To analyze the data, we used the constant comparison method. The research findings indicated that the participating pre-service teachers developed their metacognitive skills as learners at the beginning and then as teachers. This development as teachers included two aspects: activity design and activity implementation. In addition, we describe a preparation model that included different phases starting from the theoretical phase and ending in a reflection phase, where some parts of these phases are cyclic. We concluded that it is possible to educate pre-service teachers for metacognitive practices, as learners and as teachers. To succeed in this education, the pre-service teachers need to solve activities that emphasize metacognitive skills, to design such activities, to teach them, to discuss their practices, and to reflect on the whole sequence of metacognitive processes. Special attention was given to using mobile technology in solving authentic real life mathematical problems and to collaborative learning.