PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF EQUATION, FUNCTION and POLYNOMIAL CONCEPTS

The main purpose of this study is to explore prospective teachers’ understanding of function, equation and polinomials concepts and the relationships between these notions. The research sample includes 117 students from Gazi and Cumhuriyet Universities. Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in this study. The notions of conceptual knowledge and concept images were used to establish a theoretical framework for the study. Research findings indicate that prospective teachers had sufficient knowledge related to function, equation and polinomials concepts, yet they demonstrated a lack of understanding concerning the relationships between these notions.