Comprehending and Using the Mathematical Symbols, from a Quantitative Perspective amongst Preschool and 1<sup>st</sup>- and 2<sup>nd</sup>-Grade Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

A study using both quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted among pre-service teachers for preschool and pre-service teachers for grade 1 and 2 to see if they understood when and how to use the mathematical symbols "<", ">", and "=". Some had previously participated in a course on the subject. The study showed a significant difference between those who had previously studied the topic and those who had not: the majority of the latter group did not understand that these symbols may be used ONLY in a mathematical sense when comparing quantity and not when comparing graphical images (i.e., different sizes and thicknesses) nor did their use depend on context (graphical vs. numerical comparisons). This particular study was part of a more comprehensive study about the mathematical knowledge of pre-service teachers.

The bridging understanding of language and mathematical symbols between teachers and students: An effort to increase mathematical literacy

“…Mathematical language is a language of symbols, concepts, definitions, and theorems (Hassidov & Ilany, 2017). The language of mathematics does not develop naturally like the mother tongue that students learn, but the meaning of the language of symbols needs to be taught to students by mathematics teachers at school (Hassidov & Ilany, 2020). The advantage of mathematics as a language is that mathematics develops a numerical language that makes it possible to carry out quantitative measurements (Wilkinson, 2019).…”