Osman Birgin

Numbers and operations are central to school mathematics and form the basis of students’ mathematical development (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)), 2000). However, despite this ...

Geometry represents a foundational domain of mathematics and plays a critical role in students’ cognitive and spatial reasoning development. Within this domain, definitions function as essential to...

Background: Previous research has shown that students often struggle to understand algebraic expressions and solve equations, and that traditional instructional approaches may not be sufficient to address these challenges. While the use of technology and physical manipulatives independently has been shown to support students' conceptual understanding in algebra, limited research has examined their combined use—particularly the integration of dynamic mathematics software and manipulatives—within the context of algebra instruction.Objectives: This study aims to explore seventh‐grade students' perceptions of an enriched algebra instruction (EAI) approach that integrates dynamic mathematics software and physical manipulatives to support and enhance their learning experiences.Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted with 30 Turkish seventh‐grade students (aged 12–13). The EAI approach integrated technological tools, concrete materials, collaborative group work, and classroom discussions. Data were collected through a survey comprising 22 items rated on a 5‐point Likert‐type scale and four open‐ended questions, as well as through classroom observations. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic content analysis.Results and Conclusion: Most students reported that the use of EAI, which integrates dynamic software and manipulatives, enhanced their active engagement in classroom activities, enabled them to conduct multiple experiments and observations, and facilitated visual interaction with the content. They also indicated that EAI helped them explore relationships within algebraic expressions, which they perceived as contributing to the development of their algebraic thinking and conceptual understanding.

This study investigates the relationship between preservice teachers' digital transformation awareness and their 21st-century information literacy skills. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 378 preservice teachers at a Turkish state university. Data were collected through a Personal Information Form, the Digital Transformation Awareness in Education Scale, and the 21st Century Information Literacy Skills Scale. Analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and hierarchical regression analyses. The findings revealed that preservice teachers possessed moderate levels of digital transformation awareness and high levels of information literacy skills. No significant differences were found in digital transformation awareness or information literacy skills in terms of gender. However, significant differences were observed across year of study and technology-assisted instructional experience, with upper-year students and those with more frequent and technology-assisted instructional experience demonstrating higher levels of both skills. Daily internet usage significantly predicted digital transformation awareness but not information literacy skills. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that digital transformation awareness, year of study, and frequency of technology-assisted instructional experience together explained 28% of the variance in information literacy skills, with digital transformation awareness being the strongest predictor. These results suggest that enhancing preservice teachers’ awareness of digital transformation in education may play a key role in fostering their information literacy skills, which are critical for effective teaching in digitally rich learning environments.