Pre-service teachers and ChatGPT in multistrategy problem-solving: Implications for mathematics teaching in primary schools

Seyum Getenet

doi:10.29333/iejme/14141

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Seyum Getenet ¹ ^*

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¹ School of Education, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, AUSTRALIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study compared the problem-solving abilities of ChatGPT and 58 pre-service teachers (PSTs) in solving a mathematical word problem using various strategies. PSTs were asked to solve a problem individually. Data was collected from PSTs’ submitted assignments, and their problem-solving strategies were analyzed. ChatGPT was also given the same problem to solve with various prompts, and the correctness of its solutions and problem-solving strategies were assessed alongside those of PSTs. The results indicated that PSTs used diverse strategies and achieved accurate solutions, but not always relevant strategies to children’s level of understanding. ChatGPT employed similar strategies to PSTs but mostly produced incorrect solutions, and its performance needed to be contextualized in the primary school context. The study highlights the potential of ChatGPT in mathematics teaching and informs teacher education programs about the possibility of using it in teaching problem-solving strategies.

Keywords

artificial intelligence-based systems
ChatGPT
mathematics education
pre-service teachers
primary school
problem-solving strategies

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INT ELECT J MATH ED, Volume 19, Issue 1, February 2024, Article No: em0766

https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/14141

Publication date: 23 Jan 2024

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How to cite this article

APA

Getenet, S. (2024). Pre-service teachers and ChatGPT in multistrategy problem-solving: Implications for mathematics teaching in primary schools. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 19(1), em0766. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/14141

Vancouver

Getenet S. Pre-service teachers and ChatGPT in multistrategy problem-solving: Implications for mathematics teaching in primary schools. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2024;19(1):em0766. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/14141

AMA

Getenet S. Pre-service teachers and ChatGPT in multistrategy problem-solving: Implications for mathematics teaching in primary schools. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2024;19(1), em0766. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/14141

Chicago

Getenet, Seyum. "Pre-service teachers and ChatGPT in multistrategy problem-solving: Implications for mathematics teaching in primary schools". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education 2024 19 no. 1 (2024): em0766. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/14141

Harvard

Getenet, S. (2024). Pre-service teachers and ChatGPT in multistrategy problem-solving: Implications for mathematics teaching in primary schools. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 19(1), em0766. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/14141

MLA

Getenet, Seyum "Pre-service teachers and ChatGPT in multistrategy problem-solving: Implications for mathematics teaching in primary schools". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, vol. 19, no. 1, 2024, em0766. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/14141