Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Algebraic Proficiency From a Symbol Sense Perspective: The Case of Solving Inequalities

Abstract

Procedural fluency and conceptual understanding are two aspects of mathematical proficiency discussed worldwide, including in Indonesia. In the algebra domain, algebraic proficiency concerns an ability to deal with symbolic representations that can be viewed from a symbol sense perspective. This algebraic proficiency is considered indispensable for prospective mathematics teachers for their future careers. This research aims to analyze prospective mathematics teachers’ algebraic proficiency from the perspective of symbol sense. To achieve this aim, we set up a qualitative case study, involving 19 Indonesian mathematics education students (21-23 years old) as prospective mathematics teachers, in the form of a two-week online teaching and learning process (4 x 50 minutes) and its corresponding formative assessment for solving quadratic, cubic, and rational inequalities. The results revealed that the majority of the participants lack algebraic proficiency as they use procedural strategies more than symbol sense strategies to solve inequalities.