Pre-service mathematics teachers' multiple representation competencies about determinant concept

In this study, pre-service secondary school mathematics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge on determinant subject with respect to multiple representation components was investigated. The study was carried out with 25 pre-service mathematics teachers including 10 females and 15 males. The study was descriptive and the data were gathered from the written responses to test including open ended question which was subjected to pre-service mathematics teachers and from the semi-structure interviews. The results of this study revealed that pre-service teachers experienced difficulty in taking determinants and that they used the numeric and algebraic representations which are the kinds of multiple representations, instead of geometric representations. In addition, it was found that they could not express the definition and the meaning of the determinant completely and they felt that geometric representations only helps them intuitively understand the meaning of the determinant concept. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.