Investigations of Mathematics Teacher Candidates’ Proof Schemes in Trigonometry According to Learning Styles

This research aimed to determine the learning styles of elementary school mathematics teacher candidates and the proof schemes they preferred about trigonometry and to examine them in terms of different variables and to show the change according to the learning styles of the proof schemes. This study has been carried as a survey study. The participants of the study included 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade elementary school mathematics teacher candidates studying at Kastamonu University during the 2013-2014 academic year. Data were collected through Kolb learning style inventory and Trigonometry Proof Inventory. While the learning styles of the participants were determined according to the answers given in the inventory, teacher candidates’ proof schemes were determined by means of descriptive analysis. Findings from the research showed that the assimilated learning was the most prevalent learning style among the participants and that learning styles did not differ according to gender and grade level. However, it was seen that analytic proof scheme was the most preferred proof scheme in trigonometry and that the proof schemes they preferred while proving did not differ according to learning styles.