How to Improve A Mathematics Teacher’s Ways of Triggering and Considering Divergent Thoughts through Lesson Study

Esra Bukova Guzel,Aytug Ozaltun Celik

doi:10.29333/iejme/8461

Esra Bukova Guzel, Aytug Ozaltun Celik

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/8461

Copy DOI

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to examine a mathematics teacher’s actions related to triggering and considering divergent thoughts on the lessons before, during, and after the lesson study process. The participant was a mathematics teacher who participated in a lesson study design. We focused on his lessons before, during, and after the lesson study. The data were collected from the teacher’s lessons and these lessons were videotaped. The transcripts of these video records were analyzed in the context of triggering and considering divergent thoughts. The teacher’s actions were interpreted and the evidences were provided from the excerpts of the lessons. Throughout the lesson study, the teacher’s actions related to considering students’ thinking were improved and also varied. We suppose that this study will be a guide for mathematics teachers and teacher educators on triggering and considering divergent ideas.

Highlights

Having knowledge of content and student that allows teachers to focus on their understanding of how students learn a particular content (Hill, Ball, & Schilling, 2008) requires estimating students’ thinking, and considering them during teaching
Knowledge of Student Thinking (KoST) is of great importance for teachers to have ideas what questions they should ask in their lessons and in which ways they may ask these questions and to support their students’ actions in the classroom to make them challenging individuals in cognitive and social aspects
We designed a nine-month lesson study consisting of three cycles in which we examined the improvement of teachers’ KoST accordance with the teaching evidences

Summary

Introduction

Having knowledge of content and student that allows teachers to focus on their understanding of how students learn a particular content (Hill, Ball, & Schilling, 2008) requires estimating students’ thinking, and considering them during teaching. KoST is of great importance for teachers to have ideas what questions they should ask in their lessons and in which ways they may ask these questions and to support their students’ actions in the classroom to make them challenging individuals in cognitive and social aspects Pedagogical practices such as sharing work with learners, preparing discussion activities in small groups, or encouraging students to clarify ideas help teachers reflect their KoST (Van Zoest, Stockero, & Kratky, 2010). Teachers who reflect their KoST into teaching provide students having the ability of explaining their thoughts and ideas, developing their thinking and problem solving skills, using multiple representations, and relating mathematical concepts to real life and other areas (Wicks & Janes, 2006)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion