CAN MUSEUMS BE USED IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION? PRE SERVICE PRIMARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES AND A DESIGN PROPOSAL

Abstract

This study aimed to design a prototype mathematics museum for use in mathematics education, drawing on pre-service teachers’ views following a museum education course and a visit to the Tales Mathematics Museum. Employing a basic qualitative research design, this study involved 20 pre-service mathematics teachers selected through criterion sampling. Data were collected via an interview form developed by researchers and analyzed using content analysis. Findings were presented in tables and supported by direct quotations from participants. The results demonstrated that both the course and the museum visit positively influenced pre-service teachers’ perceptions of museums as out-of-school learning environments. According to participants, museums provide opportunities to establish interdisciplinary connections, enrich knowledge of mathematical history, model and concretize abstract concepts, engage students, and support diverse activities. Pre-service teachers recommended that a mathematics museum should incorporate technology-supported simulations, representations of mathematical history, concrete models of theorems, and connections to daily life and art, while being designed to sustain student engagement. In conclusion, a prototype mathematics museum was developed based on these suggestions, underscoring the potential of museum-based approaches to foster meaningful, interdisciplinary, and engaging mathematics learning experiences.

Keywords: Out-of-school learning environments, museum education, pedagogy, museum design, pre‑service teachers.

Ethics and Conflict of Interest

This research was conducted with the permission obtained from the Ethics Committee of Dokuz Eylül University Legal Counsel, dated 06.01.2022 and numbered E-87347630-659-173775. The authors declare that they acted in accordance with ethical rules in all processes of the research. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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