Explanatory Strategies of Preservice Mathematics Teachers about Divisibility by Zero

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the explanatory strategies that preservice teachers use in the process of explaining the concept of divisibility by zero. It was investigated how the concept of divisibility by zero, which can be used in expressing the case where the denominator is present in the definition of important concepts of the secondary school curriculum such as the fraction and rational number, is defined and explained. A scale consisting of three open-ended questions, in which it was questioned what the definition of the concept of divisibility by zero is and how this concept can be explained to the secondary school/high school student, was used as a data collection instrument. The data were collected through this scale and the content analysis method was adopted in the data analysis. As a result of the analyses made, it was determined that the preservice teachers use the rule strategy the most on the subject of divisibility by zero.