Investigation of ethnomathematics based activity design processes of preservice teachers

The aim of the research is to examine the processes of preservice teachers in designing ethnomathematics-based activities. The study group consists of 59 second-year preservice teachers enrolled in the Primary Mathematics Teaching Program of the Faculty of Education of a state university located in the Marmara Region in the spring semester of the 2024-2025 Academic Year. In the mixed method research, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Purposeful and random sampling methods were used together in the sampling process. The research was conducted with an explanatory sequential mixed design. Quantitative data were handled with the descriptive screening model; qualitative data were handled with the case study design. In the quantitative part, the "Scale of Cultural Elements in Ethnomathematics-Based Activities", "Mathematical Approaches Rubric" and "Approach-Based Criteria Rubric" developed by the researcher were used. Qualitative data was collected with semi-structured interview forms. The research was carried out over a 6-week course presentation and implementation process. In this, theoretical information was provided to the prospective teachers and then an applied activity design was made. Descriptive statistics were used in the quantitative analysis of the data; content analysis was used in the qualitative analysis. According to the results, the prospective teachers mostly included cultural elements such as history, architecture and food in their activities. The most used approach was ethnomathematics and the least was ethnomodeling. The interviews revealed the positive thoughts of the prospective teachers about ethnomathematics.