Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to investigate pre-service teachers’ learning styles and mathematical problem solving beliefs according to gender, department, take course for mathematical problem solving, importance level of problem solving and perception of knowing problem solving steps. In addition, the purpose of this study is to determine the effects of pre-service teachers’ learning styles on mathematical problem solving beliefs. In this research, survey model has been used which is descriptive research methods. The study group of this research consists of 219 mathematics pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers are studied in primary and secondary mathematics education department at the one of the education faculty in the center of big city. Kolb learning style scale, belief scale towards mathematical problem solving and personal information form have been used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the obtained data, chi-square, t-test, Kruskall Wallis, one way ANOVA and regression analysis were performed. The results of the data analysis demonstrated that pre-service teachers’ dominant learning styles are converger and assimilator. There isn’t any significant differences between learning styles and mathematical problem solving beliefs according to gender, department and importance level of problem solving. The same analysis also revealed that there were significant differences between learning styles and mathematical problem solving beliefs according to take course for mathematical problem solving. Pre-service teachers' beliefs about mathematical problem solving candidates were found to be similar and did not differ according to their learning styles. In the study, a low-level significant correlation was found between concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation variables which are components of Kolb learning styles model and mathematical problem solving beliefs. Reflective observation which is component of learning style is determined to be significant predictors of pre-service teachers’ beliefs for solving mathematical problems.

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