Preservice educators' perceptions of manipulatives: The moderating role of mathematics teaching self-efficacy

In this study, we examine how prospective teachers perceive the efficacy of manipulatives and if these perceptions relate to their future use of manipulatives and their mathematics self-efficacy. Survey responses from 97 preservice educators who had completed a mathematics method course indicate three essential findings. One, preservice teachers in this sample perceive manipulatives as highly effective for enhancing students' performance, conceptual knowledge, and affect and reported high levels of the intended use of manipulatives in their future teaching. Two, both preservice teachers' mathematics content and teaching self-efficacies were significant negative predictors of the intended use of manipulatives. Three, the relationship between preservice educators' perceptions and the intended use of manipulatives is dependent upon their mathematics teaching self-efficacy.