Conceptual and Procedural Learning in Mathematics

Abstract

Isik & Koloc (1998: Mathematics Education and its Appraising in the Primary School Teacher Certificate) found that many prospective mathematics teachers for primary schools who attended at newly established certificate programs made significant misconception on mathematics education because they were not graduates of education faculties. The levels of conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge of students from a secondary school in Erzurum, Turkey were investigated in order to reveal how serious misconception the teachers have been made so far. The conceptual knowledge is very important to students, however in this research, it was found that procedural knowledge was much more important than conceptual knowledge.