Gender differences in pre-service teachers’ Van Hiele’s geometric reasoning levels and their attitude towards geometry

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate gender differences in pre-service teachers‟ Van Hiele‟s geometric reasoning levels and their attitude towards geometry under the following variables (usefulness of learning geometry, confidence in learning of geometry and enjoyment of learning geometry) of Northern Region Colleges of Education. Also, the purpose was to investigate whether there is relationship between Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs‟) Van Hiele‟s Geometry Test (VHGT) achievement scores and their attitude towards geometry. In pursuance of this purpose, three research questions and three research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A cross-sectional survey design was used for the study. A mixed method approach was also adopted to collect the data, specifically the concurrent design where the qualitative and quantitative data were collected together. The population was all level 200 PSTs of Northern Region and sample drawn from Evangelical Presbyterian (E. P.)- Bimbilla, Bagabaga and Tamale Colleges of Education. The total sample was 240 PSTs comprising 120 each of female and male. The sampling procedures were convenient, stratified and simple random. The instruments used were 25-item VHGT and 32 item closed ended questionnaire adapted from Utley and 3 opened ended questions designed by the researcher on PSTs attitude towards geometry. The results of the different data sources: VHGT and questionnaires were used to answer the research questions and the hypotheses. The main findings from the study are captured as follows in line with the research questions and hypotheses. The female PSTs VHGT reasoning levels were 7 (5.9% ) for level 0, 21 (17.5% ) for level 1, 67 (55.8%) for level 2 , 25 (20.8%) for level 3 , 0(0.0%) for levels 4 and 5 while that for the male PSTs were 5 (4.2% ), 23 (19.2% ), 21 (17.5%) ,66 (55.0%), 4(3.3%) and 1(0.8%) for levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. From the t-test analysis there was significance difference between the female and the male PSTs with (t (238) = -3.987, p = 0.000 < 0.05) in favour of the male PSTs. The male PSTs achieved a a higher mean performance (𝑀 = 11.43 , 𝑆𝐷 = 2.27) better than the female with (𝑀 = 10.25, 𝑆𝐷 = 2.33). Both gender PSTs had very weak positive correlation between their attitude towards geometry and achievements in all the VHGT levels. Also, there was no statistically significant relationship between both gender attitude and achievements scores in all the VHGT levels. However, there was significant difference between female and male PSTs attitude toward geometry in favor of the male PSTs. The study recommended that tutors should use the VHGT to assess PSTs levels before any intervention measure in geometry and encourage tutors to adopt Van Hiele‟s phase based model for in teaching geometry to build PSTs confidence and interest.