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This study employed a mixed-methods research design to examine preservice elementary teachers’ number sense, spatial ability, problem-solving strategies, problem-solving orientations, and confidence in solution accuracy, as well as the interrelationships among these attributes. A total of 82 preservice teachers participated in the study. Most demonstrated relatively high performance on both number sense problems and spatial ability tasks, indicating the presence of mature number sense and strong spatial ability. Significant relationships emerged between overall performance on number sense problems and spatial ability tasks, as well as between specific components of these cognitive skills. Performance on spatial ability tasks emerged as a strong and significant predictor of performance on number sense problems. Multiple regression analyses further revealed that mental rotation, spatial visualization, problem-solving orientation, and confidence in solution accuracy were significant predictors of the use of number sense-based strategies. Interviews with participants across four performance-confidence categories provided additional insights into how factors such as prior experiences, self-efficacy, reasoning clarity, and metacognitive awareness influenced these dynamics. These factors included enjoyment and familiarity with problem types, persistent self-doubt and difficulty articulating reasoning, overconfidence rooted in surface-level understanding or prior exposure, and academic struggles and disengagement with mathematics. The predominance of participants in the high performance–high confidence category underscores the importance of structured mathematical preparation, repeated practice, and explicit emphasis on reasoning strategies in fostering both competence and self-assurance among preservice teachers. Analysis of participants’ problem-solving strategies showed that Combined Strategies were most frequently used (28%), followed by Algorithmic Approaches (20%) and Computational Estimation (17%). Other observed strategies included Split Strategy, Equivalent Expressions, Sole Reliance on Visual Representations, Reliance on Calculator, and Making Informed Guesses. The study also identified misunderstandings and inaccurate work, such as misidentification of unit fractions, errors in the order of operations, and misinterpretations of fraction–decimal–percent relationships. The discussion addresses the implications of these findings for mathematics teacher education, including study limitations and directions for future research. Overall, the study offers empirical evidence and practical insights to inform the design and refinement of teacher education programs aimed at developing mathematically confident and competent educators.
