The teacher’s role in guiding children’s mathematical ideas toward meeting lesson objectives

Abstract

This paper investigates the classroom interactive pattern, in which the teacher aims to introduce new mathematical content to children by focusing on their mathematical thinking. First, by drawing on the results of studies on the features of social interaction patterns in mathematics classrooms, we develop a framework that we call a “guided focusing pattern,” composed of four phases. Next, we use this framework and Sfard’s (J Res Math Educ 31(3):296–327, 2000) theory of focal analysis to examine the social interaction occurring in a series of mathematics lessons conducted by an experienced teacher. In the ten consecutive lessons that we analyzed, the guided focusing pattern was salient; the teacher introduced key mathematical content to children while offering support and guidance in a variety of forms within each phase and when transitioning to the next phase. On the basis of the results, we highlight the teacher’s key instructional actions that facilitate the pattern of progressing through the mathematical content as closely linked to and guided by her lesson objectives.