| In mathematics, as in many fields, there are often several ways to solve a particular problem. A student may know one valid approach, which will give a correct answer, but there may also be a different method which is in some way better. I have observed that many students do not adopt the methods presented in class if a previously known method can be applied.;In this study I focus on three topics discussed in a mathematics course designed for pre-service elementary teachers: greatest common factor and least common multiple, compound percentage change, and addition and subtraction of mixed numbers. The procedures used by the students before and after instruction were recorded and clinical interviews were conducted to discover what motivated the students to adopt a new method or caused them to resist a new approach.;A theory of conceptual change, proposed by Posner, Strike, Hewson and Gertzog (1982), is used as a theoretical framework for interpreting the results, which indicate that a variety of factors influence a student's choice of procedure. The theory is then adapted to include procedural change, making it applicable to the adoption of a new method for solving a mathematical problem when a valid method is already known. This theory of procedural change can give a greater insight into what must take place in the classroom in order to make adoption more likely and thereby giving students the ability to choose the most suitable method for each situation. |
PDF Full Text Request