PROSPECTIVE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS' KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR STUDENTS: THE CASE OF MATHEMATICS

The successful completion of the process of students' achieving the knowledge of mathematics is linked directly to the quality of a teacher's understanding of teaching mathematics. In this process, knowing the student-a component of the teacher's knowledge of teaching mathematics-and its sub-component of utilizing the student's prior knowledge prove to be critical to the overall knowledge base teachers should have. In this study, classroom observations of pre-service primary school teachers were performed to evaluate the teacher candidates' use of their prior knowledge; their lesson plans were examined, and individual interviews were conducted. It was concluded that, although teacher candidates by and large believe that the student's prior knowledge should be taken into consideration during the implementation of a course, they lack the necessary information and experience to know how they might accomplish this in their own classes.