An Alternative Teaching Method for Teaching History of Mathematics: Creative Drama

Abstract

The study was aimed to investigate the influences of pre-service teachers' learnings,
thoughts and feelings, and opinions about the approach during the course period by using creative drama
as a teaching method. The research group included 22 pre-service teachers who were studying at second
class of a state university’s elementary mathematics teacher department. The history of mathematics
course activities which were prepared with using creative drama method were implemented in two hours
per week for 10 weeks. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used for collecting data. The
constructivist learning environments assessment scale, general assessment form that evaluates the learners
feelings, thoughts and gains about course, reflective diaries, video camera records that were recorded
during the courses and interviews at the end of the courses have been investigated as data collected
instruments. According to the survey; pre-service teachers found creative drama which is teachers faced
new method that effective in teaching mathematics and its history. Pre-service teachers indicated that they
wanted to use creative drama in their professional working life because of reasons and benefits such as
provide attention and motivation for course, learning retention, recovery the course from boredom.
Another important result obtained from findings is pre-service teachers’ thinking about course; they don’t
define the course such as “very bad, don’t understand” and all pre-service teachers marked “learned” on
the general assessment form by supporting positive comments.