Communicating Mathematics and Science in the Classroom: Exploring the Interactive Route

Abstract

Communicating mathematical problems and scientific concepts is considered as a complex and difficult endeavour. Teaching, whether of complex mathematical problems and scientific concepts or of 'straightforward and clear' ideas in the humanities, is a process of communication. This paper argues that communication skills are an integral part of the teaching of Science and Mathematics. Communicating Science and Mathematics in the classroom involves thorough explanations and, because the concepts dealt with are in themselves complex, this may involve going over the concepts repeatedly. This ability to put across the mathematical or scientific message is the ability by the teacher to communicate. Research has insisted that the ability to communicate and to pose questions are central attributes of an effective teacher. This paper argues that more than being able to communicate and ask questions, for effective teaching of Mathematics and Science the teacher needs to employ interactive teaching techniques to involve learners; this way the teacher actively involves learners in communication and therefore in both the teaching and learning process. The teacher and learner roles in the contemporary classroom need not be distinctively outlined as this creates an obstacle to understanding. This allows both the teacher and student to understand concepts from each other's perspective. Through interaction between teacher and student, the teacher is able to explain the mathematical problem to the student from the student's perspective. Through a semi-structured interview and observation the study involves a sample of 32 students from four secondary schools in the two provinces of Midlands and Bulawayo.