Mathematics Pedagogy Research Articles

Empowering Mathematics Education in Greek Primary Schools: Bridging the Divide through ICT Integration and Interactive Boards for Enhanced Teacher ICT Literacy

This article advocates for a tech-enriched teaching approach using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and interactive boards to enhance students’ understanding and problem-solving skills. Overcoming challenges requires systematic planning, progressive policies, dedicated funds, and regular teacher training. The essay also discusses the benefits and limitations of ICT, the key principles of interactive whiteboard application in pedagogy, and the dynamic challenges faced by Greek elementary schools in redesigning mathematics pedagogy with ICT. It proposes blending modern technologies with traditional instructions, emphasizing the need for continuous teacher development and a positive attitude toward technology. The way forward involves leveraging Optical Character Recognition (OCR) systems and interactive boards, necessitating strategic planning, training programs, and infrastructure investment for a tech-enriched teaching future in Greek primary schools.

Search-Experience-Think: How to provoke mathematical thinking. XXXI School of Didactics of Mathematics

Search-Experience-Think: How to provoke mathematical thinking. XXXI School of Didactics of Mathematics

Development of a Learning Tool using the Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) Model Based on Thunkable

This study aims to develop a Thunkable-based cooperative, integrated reading and composition (CIRC) model for mathematics instructional development in Unimed's PGSD program. Classroom observations revealed that current teaching practices inadequately engage students in fostering reading interest and substantive discussions for mathematical understanding. The study seeks to enhance pedagogical practices by integrating reading diversification through a Thunkable-based instructional framework. The research's overarching objective is to craft a CIRC-guided learning apparatus, utilizing Thunkable for the mathematics instructional development course in Unimed's PGSD program. Following Sugiyono's four-D model, the study employs a Research and Development approach encompassing the Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate stages. Anticipated outcomes include obligatory deliverables like a comprehensive report, indexed proceedings publication, research proposal copyright, and publication in an accredited national journal. Supplementary outputs comprise an ISBN-endowed book, potential copyright or patent, and international journal publication. This research advances mathematics pedagogy within Unimed's PGSD program by integrating cooperative learning and technology-enhanced reading practices via Thunkable. Such an approach aligns with the progressive paradigm of educational development, fostering a conducive environment for comprehensive learning experiences and meaningful academic discourse.

English Speaking Teaching Strategies Based on Natural Language Processing

The study of cognitive processes in English teaching methods from the perspective of HPM (History and Pedagogy of Mathematics) provides valuable insights into how students learn and understand the English language. Cognitive research in language learning focuses on the mental processes involved in acquiring, processing, and using language skills. By incorporating the principles of HPM, which examines the historical development and pedagogical approaches in mathematics education, researchers can draw parallels and apply similar methodologies to English language instruction. This paper constructed Bloom’s taxonomy Fuzzy Decision Support System (BTF-DSS). Bloom’s taxonomy provides information about the teacher’s understanding towards the teaching. Through BTF-DSS model offers teachers provides the knowledge and expertise for effective teaching with the fuzzy model. The BTF-DSS model uses the fuzzy logic decision support system for the appropriate significant teaching and learning experience. The simulation analysis of the BTF-DSS model expressed that the fuzzy model exhibits significant performance for the English teaching method in China through the HPM process.

Diagnostic Competencies of Religious Education Teachers – Requirements and Challenges

Abstract Assessing and supporting are, in addition to teaching, educating and innovating, core competencies of teaching professionals. Particularly in the field of didactics of mathematics and educational sciences an increased interest in the conceptualization of diagnostic competencies of teachers has emerged in recent years. In contrast, research on diagnostic competencies of RE teachers is still limited to few conceptual approaches (Reis, 2018, 194) and requires further investigation. This contribution sharpens domain-specific challenges of diagnostic competencies of RE teachers based on the concept of formative Assessment. In view of current research findings of educational sciences challenges of assessment in RE such as the epistemological structure of religious knowledge in assessment tasks and questions to elicit student thinking and RE teachers’ professional reflection in formative assessment processes are discussed.

Informatique, mathématiques, conception et usage des technologies numériques

This article touches up the complementary presentations provided by the authors during the conference, addressing the design, evolution, and utilization of digital technologies in education. It is composed of two distinct parts. The first one offers a perspective from the field of educational sciences, while the second focuses on the didactics of mathematics.

Deux approches contrastées de l’évaluation internationale PISA

This article addresses the theme of assessment through the prism of two different approaches to the international PISA assessment. The first approach focuses on the understanding and solving of PISA science items by students of different academic performance and socio-economic and cultural levels in the context of France. In the second approach, PISA is used to expose how mathematics didactics, essentially equipped by the theory of didactic situations and the anthropological theory of didactics, allows to question the notion of evaluation considered as a process and is situated in the context of French-speaking Belgium. The discussion is structured around three points: the epistemological depth of the assessment process, assessment as a tool for analysis and understanding in order to better deal with the heterogeneity of learners, and the place of teachers within the assessment process.

Podporné mechanizmy školy ako inštitúcie v inkluzívnom matematickom vzdelávaní

This paper offers an interdisciplinary perspective of researchers from the fields of therapeutic pedagogy and mathematics didactics in identifying the support mechanisms of the school as an institution in inclusive mathematics education. Qualitatively analysing the written accounts of mathematics teachers in Slovak primary and secondary schools in mainstream education, it brings together the suggestions from these teachers on the support mechanisms of the school in inclusive mathematics education for pupils with special needs. The research findings may be helpful in the pre-service training of teachers of subjects other than mathematics in the context of teaching pupils with enhanced support.

Challenges in Indigenizing Mathematics Pedagogies and Practices in Southern Province, Zambia

Challenges in Indigenizing Mathematics Pedagogies and Practices in Southern Province, Zambia

“Opportunities for Indigenizing Mathematics Pedagogies and Practices in Southern Province, Zambia”

This study investigates the opportunities perceived by teachers in implementing indigenized mathematics education in Southern Province, Zambia. Indigenized education aims to integrate indigenous knowledge and cultural practices into mainstream curricula, enhancing educational relevance and inclusivity. Employing a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, this research collected quantitative data from structured questionnaires distributed to 55 mathematics teachers and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 15 teachers. The findings reveal multiple perceived benefits of indigenized mathematics education. Teachers reported that such an approach enhances student understanding and engagement by making mathematical concepts more relatable to students’ cultural contexts. It also fosters a sense of pride and identity, bridges the gap between traditional knowledge and formal education, and strengthens school-community relationships. The study underscores the necessity of professional development programs focused on indigenous pedagogies, the creation of culturally relevant teaching materials, and the active involvement of indigenous communities in educational processes. The results highlight significant opportunities for improving mathematics education through the integration of indigenous knowledge. These insights provide a foundation for policy and practice enhancements aimed at creating a more inclusive and culturally responsive educational system. Future research should focus on expanding sample sizes, examining long-term impacts of professional development and curriculum reforms, conducting comparative studies, and exploring interdisciplinary approaches to further understand the benefits and challenges of indigenized education.

Banyuwangi Bamboo Puppets from an Ethnomathematics Perspective

Ethnomathematics denotes mathematical phenomena entrenched within cultural contexts. Bamboo puppetry emerges as an intriguing cultural enclave ripe for investigation, distinguished by unique material composition, crafting techniques, and character portrayal in contrast to conventional puppetry forms. An exploratory inquiry unfolded within the precincts of Gintangan village, Banyuwangi, facilitated by a selective triad of informants. Employing qualitative methodologies, data accrual entailed a blended approach integrating observational scrutiny and in-depth interviews. Insights gleaned from the investigation unveil that the craftsmanship of bamboo puppets entails a gamut of mathematical undertakings, encompassing enumeration, categorization, measurement, and strategic planning. Furthermore, the genesis of bamboo puppetry production intricately intertwines with ethnomathematical dimensions, elucidating the utilization of numerical operations, geometric principles, statistical analysis, and probability considerations. These findings portend the transformative potential to transmute into a bespoke educational resource for contextualized mathematics pedagogy, leveraging the craft of bamboo puppetry as a conduit for experiential learning.

Islamic-Nuanced Mathematics Teaching Material: An Alternative Tool to Improve Students' Understanding on Integers

The acquisition of mathematical proficiency among university students, particularly within the Department of Elementary Education at Universitas Syiah Kuala, Aceh – Indonesia, often presents challenges. Integrating religious undertones into mathematics pedagogy represents a constructive approach to engender student engagement and augment comprehension. Such integration affords students a familiar contextual backdrop, fostering a more meaningful learning milieu. This article delineates the development of an instructional resource imbued with Islamic motifs, specifically addressing concepts related to integers. The study cohort comprises 115 second-year students enrolled in the Department of Elementary Education at Universitas Syiah Kuala. Methodological stages encompassed preliminary inquiry, developmental endeavors, and evaluative assessments. Research instrumentation encompassed validation protocols for assessing integrity and observation metrics capturing students' instructional engagements. Additionally, assessments, accompanied by post-instructional questionnaires, were administered to gauge student perceptions. Qualitative data analyses were conducted, evaluating the product's viability across dimensions of validity, applicability, and efficacy. Iterative revisions were undertaken during the instructional resource's refinement process. Outcomes underscore the aptness of the Islamic-imbued mathematics instructional material for second-year students within the elementary education domain. The implications of these findings underscore the advantages conferred by familiar-contextualized learning materials in facilitating students' mathematical comprehension.

Journeying Towards Transformative Mathematics Teacher through Critical Self-Reflection

In this autoethnographic study, I have critically explored my past experiences as a student, teacher, and educational researcher. This study shows my transformation from a traditional practitioner to a critical and culturally responsive mathematics teacher. The main purpose of this study is to portray the episode of critical self-reflection on my experiences of engaging mathematical activities, aiming at improving my practices as a teacher, practitioner-researcher and an educator by exploring students' mathematical ideas constructed through de/contextual teaching. Through this autoethnographic research, I have critically reflected upon my experience and I explored the possible ways of using cultural heritage that is contextualized in mathematics class. To analyze critically the narratives, I employed three theories: living education theory, sociocultural theory and, transformative theory. I positioned myself as a ontology, is multiple subjective realities. I am guided three paradigms such as interpretivism, criticalism and postmodern research paradigms. During this study, I came to realize that culturally decontextualized mathematics education is not able to encourage teachers to implement empowering mathematics pedagogy in meaningful learning of mathematics. In addition, transformative learning plays a vital role in learning mathematics by through contextual teaching and learning in which constructivist and precarious viewpoints empower both teachers and students to observe their views and values to build knowledge through critical self-reflection.

Lärarstudenters förutsättningar att utveckla yrkesspecifika kunskaper

This study aims to investigate how the courses in didactics of mathematics in preschool and primary teacher education create conditions for preservice teachers to develop professional knowledge in an interactive learning process that integrates the knowledge domains of mathematical subject knowledge and pedagogical mathematical knowledge. An analysis of 20 course documents and 8 focus group interviews with students have been done. The results show that the intentions in the documents create conditions for the students to develop mathematical subject knowledge. Still, they were given inferior conditions for pedagogical mathematical knowledge. In the focus groups, perceptions emerged among the participants about a changed view of mathematics during the education, from being an abstract theoretical subject to a subject to be explored and discovered through various practical exercises and activities. As support for transferring their newly discovered perception, it is important that the students participate in core practices to bridge the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge in teacher education. The continued development of such core practices, in which student teachers can integrate professional knowledge and skills into their education, is an important implication of this study.

Using a functional multilingualism framework and online learning to develop professional repertoires and racial literacy for trainee mathematics teachers in London, England

ABSTRACT This article is a narrative case study of language provision for trainee mathematics teachers on a one-year initial teacher training course: a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in London, England. It draws on Heugh’s (2018) (Conclusion: Multilingualism, Diversity and Equitable Learning: Towards crossing the ‘Abyss’. in The Multilingual Edge of Education 2018 (pp 341-367) Palgrave MacMillan) description of Functional Multilingualism; Muscovitch’s (2015) Academic Literacy in Mathematics for English learners in The Journal of Mathematical Behaviour, 40, 43-62) to intertwine the development of professional language repertoires with the praxis of school mathematics pedagogy; and digital multimodal literacies to promote writing, professional language repertoires and critical language awareness. It models practices and tasks designed to improve outcomes in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education course and address the lack of confidence felt by trainee teachers when teaching multilingual classes. These develop safe spaces that allow for sharing of school practicum experiences and is a context for discussion of race literacy and other aspects of diversity and inclusion referred to in the Equalities Act (2010). Drawing on innovation over a four-year period (2017–2021) the case study provides a variety of starting points to develop consistency within the many initial teacher training routes leading to Qualified Teacher Status and for collaboration between schools and Higher Education Institutes during further two years of school-based training required in England before final recognition as a fully qualified teacher.

A Task-based learning application in Higher Education, for future teachers of primary and preschool education

Task-based learning is a technique often applied in language classes to enhance language acquisition in learners. We show that the same method has several benefits when applied to other subject of learning, having a very formative component by being a student-centered technique. The present study was conducted with high education undergraduate students studying didactics of mathematics, in the program that prepares teachers for primary and kindergarten education. By conducting various tasks, students have perceived the importance of the subject, have constructed applications that can be used in the teaching activity and have discussed which teaching methods are best applied in the topics that are taught in primary and preschool education. The finds show that tasks are enjoyable, well perceived by students, engaged multiple emotions and developed much needed skills for a 21st century teacher. In addition, by working in groups, discussing the best way to conduct tasks, motivation can be boosted and support the learning processes.

Secondary teachers’ geometrical figure apprehension: their ability to construct geometrical proof and to predict students’ difficulties

The present study investigates in-service secondary teachers’ geometrical figure apprehension in relation to their ability to construct geometrical proofs and to predict didactically their students’ difficulties and mistakes. The theoretical framework of analysis is based on Duval’s geometrical figure apprehension which was taught to the teachers as part of an in-service training course in didactics of mathematics, offered by one of the researchers. As part of the course final assessment, a written test consisting of various geometrical tasks was constructed and administered to the sample. Participants’ answers in both solving and interpreting difficulties related to the tasks were analyzed. The results of the study indicate that theories and concepts of didactics of geometry can shed light to various facets of teaching and learning of geometry. A teacher who presents a correct solution at a task does not necessarily identify or understand the possible difficulties faced by students. Discussion concentrates on teaching implications about geometry and geometrical proof.

Mathematics learning orientation: Mathematical creative thinking ability or creative disposition?

Mathematical creative thinking skill often becomes the orientation of mathematics learning, aiming to enhance students’ creativity in mathematics. Recognizing that creativity encompasses the capacity for thinking creatively and creativity disposition is essential. Building on this conceptual foundation, the primary objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive model illustrating the relationship between students' aptitude for mathematical creative thinking and their creative disposition. The research methodology employed in this study aligned with the framework of cause-and-effect analysis. The study cohort consisted of 36 students, carefully selected by a cluster random sampling technique. The research instruments included a mathematical creative thinking ability assessment and a creative disposition scale. The data was analyzed using the Non-Recursive Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed the reciprocal cause-and-effect dynamic between mathematical creative thinking ability and creative disposition, exhibiting a mutually influential relationship with determination coefficients of 21.83% and 21.05%. This shows that mathematical creative thinking ability is better at explaining mathematical creative disposition than mathematical creative disposition explaining mathematical creative thinking ability, with a relatively small difference (0.78%). This study also concluded that an optimal approach to mathematics pedagogy entails a balanced and simultaneous focus on nurturing mathematical creative thinking ability and disposition.

Non-specialist secondary mathematics teachers learning in study groups by engaging with activities of algebra

Teaching ‘out-of-field’ is a present obstacle in mathematics education in many countries, and developing professional learning programs aimed at upskilling non-specialist teachers is urgent. A teacher study group was established wherein two non-specialist teachers of mathematics (Years 7–10; aged 12–16) engaged with algebra to develop a deeper understanding of the subject and its teaching. The study group lasted one school year, during which the teachers actively participated in the learning. Multiple data sources were collected, including reflection forms, open-ended questionnaires, and a storytelling form. Analysis of the teachers’ solutions to a sample of algebra problems and self-reports suggests that the study group enabled teachers to acquire new knowledge/skills in mathematics pedagogy, gain a new understanding of how student thinking and understanding develop, adapt new classroom instruction strategies, develop ability/confidence in problem-solving, and develop new knowledge/ability in algebra. The study findings contribute to our understanding of supporting non-specialist mathematics teachers’ professional development.

Pedagogy of Mathematics

This paper delves into the realm of mathematics pedagogy, exploring various facets of teaching and learning mathematics. Through the analysis of the modified Fennema-Sherman Attitude Scales and an in-depth examination of best practices, this paper aims to shed light on the attitudes of students toward mathematics and provide recommendations for improving mathematics education. The paper emphasizes the importance of cultivating a growth mindset, promoting diversity and inclusion, and incorporating active learning strategies in mathematics instruction. It highlights the significance of continuous professional development for educators and support systems for students facing challenges in mathematics. As we conclude this internship, it is clear that mathematics education is not static but a dynamic field that demands collaboration and a commitment to excellence. This paper serves as a compass for future endeavors, guiding the way toward a mathematics pedagogy that empowers learners and transforms perceptions of mathematics.