Search

Teachers' beliefs about mathematics play an important role in the teaching of mathematics. Future teachers' views of mathematics are the basis of the quality of instruction they will deliver, as well as the teaching materials that they will present to their students and the means necessary to learn and participate in mathematical tasks. This article studies Colombian future teachers' beliefs about mathematical knowledge, taking into account two different training programmes for pre-service mathematics teachers from the same country, both of them qualify students to teach mathematics at elementary levels. Specifically, 213 mathematics graduate students and 405 normal school students from the Colombian Caribbean coast in their last term of their studies participated. Data were collected regarding four dimensions of beliefs: (i) on the nature of mathematics, (ii) about learning mathematics, (iii) about factors affecting students' achievement in mathematics, and (iv) about the quality of their training programme. Results show remarkable differences in the future teachers' beliefs depending on their training programme.

This study compared the effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning method (PBL) with the conventional teaching method in developing cross-curricular skills and improving academic performance among 1064 undergraduate students at the north coast of Colombia. A t-student test, Welch test, and the Tau Kendall correlation coefficient were used to analyse the PBL and non-PBL groups in 40 Economic Integration courses in three years. A pre-test, post-test, and achievement of academic objectives questionnaire was applied, as well as a verification test of previous knowledge and a focus group at the end of the courses. It was observed that the PBL method is superior in the development of "problem-solving" and "teamwork" skills only of five observed. The application of the PBL method was associated with the fulfilment of two of the five academic objectives analysed, which is confirmed by the feedback from the focus groups. This research contributes to the analysis of the usefulness of teaching methods in different geographical contexts.

Studies on the effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) method in different local contexts require non-conventional approaches that clarify if the methodology is suitable in other settings compared to the conventional teaching practice. This study examined students' perception of the effectiveness of the PBL method in developing cross-curricular competencies and improving the academic performance of undergraduate students in the Colombian Caribbean coast. A sum of Wilcoxon ranges and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used on two groups of 481 students who were taught using the traditional method and the PBL method from six professors of the Economic Development course. It was observed that the autonomy and problem-solving competencies received a positive impression from the students and that the application of the PBL method was superior to the traditional teaching method in improving academic performance. However, it was found that the characteristics of social communication within the local context limited the reflection of the participants in the PBL group. This study contributes to future studies by using a complementary instrument that provides an analysis of the effectiveness of teaching methods in different geographical contexts.

Differentiated geographical and institutional contexts imply the need to examine the effectiveness of non-conventional approach learning methods in contrast to generalist assumptions. One way is to examine the perceptions of undergraduates of a teaching method applied to specific individuals, geographical contexts, and their relationship to achieving the objectives of the course. This study analysed students' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Project-Based Learning (PBL) method within the Colombian Caribbean. The study used both Chi-square, Wilcoxon rank sum and independent variable correlation tests in a survey of 340 students in the Economic Development undergraduate course in a total of four cohorts over two years. The students compared the PBL to a traditional teaching method to fulfill the course's objectives, identifying cross-curricular skills that were considered better and worse during the learning process. It was found that only competencies of Autonomy and Critical Thinking had significant positive perceptions when using the PBL revealing that perceptions of students form a complementary tool that contributes to the analysis of the usefulness of teaching methods in different geographical contexts.

This Article analyses the effectiveness of Simulation-Based Learning Model ASEAN Meeting in enhancing critical thinking skills and academic performance compared to the conventional teaching method among 216 International Relations undergraduate students on the north coast of Colombia. A t–student test, Welch test, and the Kendall Tau correlation coefficient were used to analyses the perceptions and academic performance from 216 undergraduate Asia Pacific Politics courses for two years. A pre-test, post-test, and achievement of academic objectives questionnaire were applied, as well as a verification test of previous knowledge and focus groups at the end of the courses. It was found that simulations fostered an inquiry-based attitude to represent a countrýs agenda not achieved through the conventional method, thus enhancing deductive and inductive reasoning, recognizing assumptions, and drawing inferences capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]