Resumen de The prospective mathematics teachers¿ thought processes and views about using problem-based learning in statistics education

Berna Cantürk-Günhan, Esra Bukova-Güze, Zekiye Özgür

• The purpose of this study is to determine prospective mathematics teachers� views about using problem-based learning (PBL) in statistics teaching and to examine their thought processes. It is a qualitative study conducted with 15 prospective mathematics teachers from a state university in Turkey. The data were collected via participant observation and semi-structured interviews. To determine their thought processes, all PBL sessions and interviews were audio-taped. The analysis of the data suggests that the participants liked the PBL application. They had overall positive views regarding PBL, although there were some stated concerns regarding the applicability of PBL in Turkish schools due to insufficient means. The findings also suggest that PBL sessions enhanced their self-expressions; hence, their thought processes had developed in the course of PBL application. We hope that this study will contribute to future studies about the use of PBL method in statistics teaching.