Investigating the Understanding of Basic Elementary Geometry Concepts among Bachelor of Science Graduates in Mathematics Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate BSc-graduated mathematics teachers’ understanding of some basic elementary geometry concepts. To conduct the study, a descriptive survey design and an inferential T-test were employed. The study included 53 participants—43 males and 10 females—who came to attend the Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching (PGDT) program at Dilla University Ethiopia in 2018–19 and were chosen using convenience sampling techniques. A 15-item achievement test on basic elementary geometry concepts in mathematics was used as an instrument for the study. The findings revealed that, out of 15 concepts, 1.55 and 1.85 were answered by female and male teachers, respectively. where they are perceived as difficult to understand and solve by BSc-graduated mathematics teachers. There was no significant difference between teachers in gender understanding and solving elementary basic concepts in geometry (p = 0.372 greater than p = 0.05 level of significance). As a result, it is recommended that extremely important BSc holders in mathematics teachers skill up through their professional development program, stakeholders and the MOE step up conscription efforts, and universities take action such as a workshop to fill the gap.