Future teachers’ mathematics cognitive failures and their learning styles
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Date
2020
Authors
Awofala, A. O. A.
Lawal, Ruth F.
Arigbabu, Abayomi A.
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Abstract
This study investigated the disparities in the mathematics cognitive
failures of future mathematics teachers based on learning style
inclination. As a descriptive survey study, the sample included 480
future mathematics teachers from four universities in south-west
Nigeria. Two research questions were involved and two instruments
were used for the collection of quantitative data for the study:
Learning Style Inventory (LSI, Cronbach alpha coefficient=0.74)
and the Mathematics Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (MCFQ,
Cronbach alpha coefficient=0.89). The collected data were
analyzed using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA),
frequency, and percentage. Results showed that future mathematics
teachers in varying degrees preferred the four learning styles of
convergers, divergers, accommodators, and assimilators. In
addition, there was a statistically significant influence of learning
style on future teachers‘ mathematics cognitive failures. Thus, there
were meaningful disparities in mathematics cognitive failures
between accommodators and the other three types of future
teachers: divergers, convergers, and assimilators. The disparity was
in support of the accommodators. Succinctly, the accommodators
pooled the greatest mathematics cognitive failures while the
divergers recorded the least mathematics cognitive failures. In line
with these study findings, it is advised that strategies that could
reduce future teachers‘ mathematics cognitive failures and close the
gaps created by learning styles should be enacted to promote their
success in mathematics learning.
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Keywords
Mathematics Cognitive Failures, Learning Styles, Future Teacher