Examining the usage of extended discourse: Secondary school mathematics teachers' and preservice teachers' methods to handle correct and wrong answers

The aim of this study is to examine how the correct and wrong answers from secondary school mathematics students are handled by teachers and pre-service teachers. In the study that adopted the mixed-methods design, the participants were 36 primary school mathematics teachers from 11 schools and 47 pre-service mathematics teachers attending the final year of the Primary School Mathematics Teaching Programme of a public university. In Phase I, the participants were given the semi-structured scale "Wrong Answer Scenarios" and "Correct Answer Scenarios," developed by the researcher, and consisting of teacher and student question-answer scenarios. The scenario questions used in the study were prepared based on the questions in the learning field. In Phase II, the structured scale containing potential answers to these scenarios was administered. In the final phase of the study, the "Interview Form" was given to the teachers to obtain their views about course planning and evaluation of answers in the process. Chi-squared analysis was performed after obtaining the seniority of the participating teachers and achievement levels of their students in order to investigate the effect of teacher seniority and student achievement on teachers' handling answers. Qualitative data collected during the study were analyzed using content analysis. As a result of content analysis, categories were determined with support from literature. Frequency and weighted mean values were used to assess that the quantitative data. At the end of the study, the categories of handling correct and wrong answers for teachers and pre-service teachers were determined. It was also found that the seniority level of teachers and achievement level of students made no significant difference in teachers' manner of handling answers.