Preservice educators’ perceptions of manipulatives: The moderating role of mathematics teaching self‐efficacy

Abstract

In this study, we examine how prospective teachers perceive the efficacy of manipulatives and if these perceptions relate to their future use of manipulatives and their mathematics self-efficacy. Survey responses from 97 preservice educators who had completed a mathematics method course indicate three essential findings. One, preservice teachers in this sample perceive manipulatives as highly effective for enhancing students' performance, conceptual knowledge, and affect and reported high levels of the intended use of manipulatives in their future teaching. Two, both preservice teachers' mathematics content and teaching self-efficacies were significant negative predictors of the intended use of manipulatives. Three, the relationship between preservice educators' perceptions and the intended use of manipulatives is dependent upon their mathematics teaching self-efficacy.

South African Teachers' Beliefs and the Use of Manipulatives to Resolve the Concept-Symbol Schism in Mathematics Learning

“…Not much research, however, has been done on teachers' experiences with manipulatives and how these experiences shape their mathematical knowledge and classroom instruction. Carbonneau, Zhang and Ardasheva [13] point out that: "Little is known about the best ways to use manipulatives during instruction, and even less is known about how teachers perceive manipulatives and if their self-beliefs influence how often they plan to use manipulatives in the classroom." The present study places teachers at the center of pedagogical reform in the mathematics laboratory.…”

“…Carbonneau, Zhang and Ardasheva [13] point out that; "manipulatives are not a panacea for all students in all situations and simple physical manipulations of blocks do not necessarily translate into student learning." The instructional efficacy of a manipulative is not embedded in the concrete object itself, but in the teacher's knowledge and ability to assist learners in creating connections and meaning between the objects being manipulated and the abstract concept they are learning.…”

Teachers’ Experiences with and Perceptions of Virtual Manipulatives Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Mathematics manipulatives are one of the most common instructional strategies in teaching mathematics (Carbonneau et al, 2018 ). The use of manipulatives to teach mathematics has been a long-standing best practice (NCTM, 2000 ).…”