Abstract
Teaching strategies have a significant influence on students’ academic performance. This paper presents results from a qualitative study that examined the effects that performance ranking in Mathematics has on teaching strategies employed in Mathematics classrooms. In particular, the paper demonstrates how performance ranking disguises and legalizes inappropriate Mathematics teaching strategies. The participants for the study were Mathematics teachers and students in secondary schools in Embu County in Kenya. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were employed in data collection. Results showed that due to competition by teachers to achieve a higher mean score, they engaged in examination malpractices such as leaking examination questions to students. Secondly, teachers’ desire for excellence in their subjects, and achieving top rank to receive prizes was found to be another reason behind teaching students to pass examinations rather than for conceptual understanding. Additionally, the study revealed that performance ranking promoted private tuition to offer assistance to the weak students in Mathematics to improve performance in the subject. This paper recommends that the practice of ranking should be tailored to include all the aspects. Key words: Performance ranking, mathematics, teaching strategies, learning.
Highlights
Teaching strategies are generalized plans for a lesson that is inclusive of the lesson structure, desired learner behavior in terms of the goals of the instruction, and an outline of planned tactics necessary to implement the strategies (Gill and Kusum, 2017)
The objective of this paper was to demonstrate how performance ranking in school Mathematics disguises and legalizes inappropriate teaching strategies
The study established that, due to competition by teachers of Mathematics to register a high mean score, the teachers engaged in examination malpractices such as leaking examination to students
Summary
Teaching strategies are generalized plans for a lesson that is inclusive of the lesson structure, desired learner behavior in terms of the goals of the instruction, and an outline of planned tactics necessary to implement the strategies (Gill and Kusum, 2017). Most importantly, teaching strategies are techniques teachers employ to help students become independent strategic learners. Strategic learners make meaningful connections between skills, ideas, and real-life situations if appropriate teaching strategies are employed in classroom discourses. In this regard, appropriate teaching strategies promote an effective learning environment for students learning (Macsuga-Gage et al, 2012). Studies have shown that teaching strategies can be influenced by performance ranking in examinations if sanctions are attached to students’ performance.
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