The Investigation Of Teacher Candidates’ Skills Of Solving Exercises And Non-Routine Problems Related To The Topic Of Series

The study consists of the examination of success and solution conditions between operation exercises and non-routine problems. The study is conducted with 64 primary mathematics teachers being educated in a government university in the fall semester of 2012-2013 academic years. Explanatory design, one of the mixed methods, in which qualitative and quantitative methods used together, is used in the study. In expletory design known as a method in which quantitative data is supported with qualitative data, OET and NRSPT are used for quantitative data collection and semi-structured interview technique is used together with interview form for qualitative data collection. As the result of data analysis it is found that prospective teachers are more successful on operation exercises than non-routine problems. The reasons of the mistakes made while solving non-routine problems were categorized under transforming, conceptual meaning, relating and computational errors. It is suggested in the scope of the study that giving more place to non-routine problems in education programs.