Middle School Mathematics Teachers Research Articles

Prospective middle school mathematics teachers’ conceptualizations of slope

In this study, the conceptualizations used by prospective middle school mathematics teachers when defining, representing, and exemplifying the slope concept and relating it with other mathematical situations were examined. Participants’ conceptualizations were identified by Nagle, C., Moore-Russo, D., Viglietti, J., & Martin, K. [(2013). Calculus students’ and instructors’ conceptualizations of slope: A comparison across academic levels. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 11(6), 1491–1515. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-013-9411-2] framework. The findings showed the prospective teachers mostly used trigonometric and parametric conceptions. Real-world situation, calculus conception, geometric ratio, and determining property were other common conceptualizations used by the participants. On the other hand, algebraic ratio, behaviour indicator, physical property, and functional property conceptualizations were seldom used and linear constant conceptualization was never used by them. The implications for mathematics teacher educators and mathematics education researchers on how to remedy prospective teachers’ possible difficulties and errors about slope are discussed.

Was Emergency Remote Education Enough To Save The Day? : Mathematics Teachers' Difficulties and Ways to Cope With These Difficulties

This case study aims to examine the difficulties, and the ways to cope with these difficulties or the solution proposals for coping faced by middle school mathematics teachers during the Emergency Remote Education (ERE). The participants consisted of four online focus groups with eighteen mathematics teachers working in middle schools in Turkey. The data was collected semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed the thematic approach. According to the findings, the teachers faced difficulties caused by students, teachers, infrastructure, schedule and curriculum, parents, and nature of mathematics. The difficulties were virtual classroom management, participation, and interest/motivation (caused by student), communication/interaction, measurement and evaluation, ICT competencies, and privacy (caused by teacher), device and internet deficiencies (caused by Infrastructure), supporting roles and supervising roles (caused by parents), Schedule and curriculum, and Nature of mathematics. Teachers were able to cope with difficulties by banning/restricting, contacting parents, paying attention to the arrangement of scheduled hours, making additional courses, sending additional lesson documents, and organizing different learning activities, rules, face-to-face homework checks, and face-to-face exams, adhering to the lesson time in the schedule determined by the school administration. The limitations of the study and implications for future research were discussed.

Analysis on Strategies of Cultivating Problem Ability in Junior Middle School Mathematics Teaching

Analysis on Strategies of Cultivating Problem Ability in Junior Middle School Mathematics Teaching

Discussion on the Life-oriented Teaching of Junior Middle School Mathematics Teaching

Discussion on the Life-oriented Teaching of Junior Middle School Mathematics Teaching

How Do Middle School Mathematics Teachers Conceptualize Open-Ended Questions?

The study aims at examining middle school mathematics teachers' conceptions of open-ended questions. A questionnaire consisting of open-ended items was applied to 40 mathematics teachers. The teachers were asked to define the open-ended question in general and the mathematical open-ended question in particular and provide examples to exemplify their definitions. This study employs phenomenographic study aiming at revealing middle school mathematics teachers' conceptions and experience regarding open-ended questions in an exploratory manner. The findings show that the teachers explained the open-ended question through its form (appearance), the number of outputs, the process/method required, and its functionality. In addition, teachers defined the open-ended question mostly using non-mathematical terms, and they had particular difficulties defining the mathematical open-ended question. The teachers regarded questions with variable correct answers as open-ended, could not give examples of open-ended questions with infinitely correct answers, and some deemed closed-ended questions as open-ended. Although the participants were mathematics teachers, the examples they presented for the open-ended question were mostly from outside the field of mathematics. This study points out the fact that teachers need a guiding conceptualization of open-ended questions.

Self-Reflection Processes of the Novice Middle School Mathematics Teachers

In this case study the aim is to examine the self-reflection processes (self-evaluation, causal attribution, emotional reactions and inferences) of novice mathematics teachers. The participants were six middle school (grades of 5-8) mathematics teachers who have less than five years teaching experience working in the Western and Central Anatolia Regions of Turkey. The data of the study were collected through the semi-structured interviews developed based on classroom observations. First, the instructional situations were determined by observing the mathematics lessons of the participants (approximately 10 hours for each participant). Afterwards, through semi-structured interviews, the participants were asked to reflect on these instructional situations. During the data analysis, first within case analyses were made, and the self-reflection of each teacher was described. Then by comparing the data obtained from six teachers, it was defined which self-reflection processes the novice mathematics teachers performed and to what extent they performed them. The findings suggest that the participants did not consider their teaching behaviors when they were asked to evaluate the lesson. They attributed the cause of the failure in their lessons to factors beyond their control (e.g., low involvement of parents, insufficient physical facilities of the school). In addition, it is observed that they were less likely to develop positive emotional responses for the observed lessons and were insufficient in taking adaptive decisions for their future lessons. These findings indicate the necessity of pre-service and in-service practices that will support newly recruited middle school mathematics teachers to gain much more comprehensive self-reflection skills.

Matematik Öğretmenlerinin 2018 Liselere Geçiş Sınavı (LGS)’na İlişkin Görüşlerinin İncelenmesi

The purpose of this research; was aimed to determine the opinions of middle school mathematics teachers regarding the High School Entrance Exam (LGS), which was put into practice in 2018, according to the demographic characteristics of the teachers. In this study, in which quantitative research approach was adopted, the relational screening model was used. This study was carried out with 471 middle school mathematics teachers who are working in different regions of Turkey. In the study, the data collection tool, consisting of 23 questions, was developed by the researcher. As a result of the study, the most accepted opinions by the teachers are that LGS system increased the need for self-renewal and development of the teachers and the visualization of the questions facilitated the students’ understanding. Among the least accepted opinions by teachers, it was determined that the questions were similar to the written exam questions, the duration of the exam was sufficient for solving the questions, the questions were aimed at measuring the knowledge level of the students. Finally, LGS system increased the competition among students.

Research on the Countermeasures of Junior Middle School Mathematics Teaching from the Perspective of Hybrid Teaching

Research on the Countermeasures of Junior Middle School Mathematics Teaching from the Perspective of Hybrid Teaching

Examining pre-service mathematics teachers’ argumentation-supported lesson plans and their noticing during planning

This research examined how pre-service mathematics teachers (PMTs) plan to support argumentation in their lessons about the hierarchical relationships among the quadrilaterals and what they notice during planning. The participants of this case study were eight pre-service middle-school mathematics teachers. Data consisted of the PMTs’ argumentation-supported lesson plans and video recording of the focus group meeting conducted to discuss their plans. The results revealed that the PMTs preferred to use various questions and actions that support the argumentation process and these generated different argumentation sections that mostly included data, claim and warrant. The PMTs’ statements about argumentation indicated in the focus group meeting were related to attending, responding and interpreting components of noticing, respectively. The PMTs generally provided evidence for their attention mostly to student and mathematical content while planning argumentation-supported lessons. The study presents a novel view of illustrating the PMTs’ argumentation-supported lesson plans and their noticing about it.

Sensemaking unraveled: how teachers process school performance feedback data

The present study investigates how Flemish middle school mathematics teachers make sense of schoolperformanfeedback data from low-stakes, external standardised tests. We take an in-depth look into the interpretive steps they take, based on a conceptual model that integrates intuitive and rational aspects of individual and collective sensemaking and empirical data collected in semi-structured interviews. We describe the nature of these sensemaking processes and consider the impact of influencing factors. Our findings demonstrate that the mere availability of school performance feedback data does not spontaneously spark sensemaking, nor does it necessarily lead to improvements in instructionalpractice. Teachers' sensemaking of schoolperformancefeedback data appears to be a largely intuitive process, grounded in external attributions and absent of triangulation. Challenges regarding expertise and lack of inquiry-based attitude and commitment result in superficial and often incorrect interpretations of the data that tend to remain uncorrected as teachers barely engage in collaborative professional dialogue about the data.

The Intermediate School Mathematics Teachers' Role in creating Professional Standards- based Learning Environments of The Education and Training Evaluation Commission from the Specialists' Perspectives: دور معلمي رياضيات المرحلة المتوسطة في تهيئة بيئات تعلم تفاعلية قائمة على المعايير المهنية لهيئة تقويم التعليم والتدريب من وجهة نظر المختصين

This research aims to identify the role of middle school mathematics teachers in creating interactive learning environments based on the professional standards of the Learning and Training Evaluation Authority from the specialists' point of view. To achieve this, the researcher used the descriptive method with its survey design. The research sample included (120) individuals, (5) teaching Staff Members of curricula and mathematics, and (19) educational supervisors in the mathematics department in Makkah Directorate of education. The role of the middle school mathematics teacher in creating interactive learning environments based on the professional standards of the Education and Training Evaluation Authority from the point of view of specialists came with a degree of (approval). The arrangement of the axes was descending as follows: (the use of modern technology in teaching mathematics, strategies for teaching mathematics, the time teaching mathematics effectively, the use of mathematical communication) for all axes (4,24,4,47,4,47,4,50). There is statistically significant difference at the level of significance (0.05) between the averages of the specialists' responses according to the job title (teacher, educational supervisor, faculty member) due to the effective use of modern technology for mathematics and teaching mathematics effectively, and it reached (5,275,5,93). There is statistically significant difference at the level of significance (0.05) between the averages of the specialists' responses according to the job title (teacher, educational supervisor, faculty member) due to the use of mathematics teaching strategies and using the mathematical communications, and it reached (6,749,7,434). There is a statistically significant difference at the level of significance (0.05) between the averages of the specialists' responses according to the academic qualification (BA, MA, and PhD). There is a statistically significant difference at the level of (0.05) between averages of responses attributed to years of experience, at the role of mathematics teacher in using modern technology and strategies for teaching mathematics, the time of effectively teaching mathematics, mathematical communication reached (13,863,17,806,14,356,9,548). The researcher recommended a number of recommendations, including strengthening professional practices related to creating interactive learning environments and providing educational supervisors with the proposed vision that came out of this study in promoting an interactive educational environment.

PhET互动仿真程序在中学数学教学中的应用

PhET互动仿真程序在中学数学教学中的应用

Teacher subject matter knowledge for the meaningful transition from arithmetic to algebra

Teacher knowledge is particularly important in middle school mathematics to enhance the meaningful transition from arithmetic to algebra. Developing a solid understanding of algebra requires teachers to unpack the meaning underlying the basic concepts, make clear and explicit distinctions among concepts, and facilitate students to connect these concepts with their prior knowledge and understandings in arithmetic. This study focused on the content knowledge (i.e., decompose, trim, and bridge) of three middle school mathematics teachers in practice during the introduction of basic algebra concepts (i.e., variable, algebraic expression, equality and equations). Case study was used as research design in this research. Individual interviews and observations regarding the instructions were used to gather data. Results showed that the participating teachers’ conceptions regarding the variable, algebraic expression and equation were rather narrow and it resulted in several constraints when unpacking their meaning in the classroom. While bridging was a commonly observed instructional practice among the participating teachers, the quality of bridging, did not always provide opportunities for a meaningful transition. Trimming, on the other hand, was not observed as a common teaching practice.

The Effectiveness of a Proposed Training Program based on Professional Competencies in the Light of International Standards in Developing the Teaching Performance of Mathematics Teachers at the Intermediate Stage in Kuwait

The contemplator of mathematics teaching notes that the educational outcomes have not reached the acceptable level in the State of Kuwait; It is punctuated by many problems, represented by the low educational attainment of students, so the current study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of a proposed training program based on professional competencies in the light of international standards in developing the teaching performance of mathematics teachers at the intermediate stage in Kuwait. the descriptive analytical approach, the constructivist approach, and the quasi-experimental approach. To achieve the objectives of the study, a teaching competency questionnaire, a note card, and a training program based on professional competencies were prepared. The study sample consisted of 30 middle school mathematics teachers (the eighth-grade teachers). The study tools were applied to them, appropriate statistical analyzes were performed and quantitative results were extracted. The results of the study showed that the professional competencies that mathematics teachers at the intermediate stage in the State of Kuwait should master in light of international standards came within a medium degree of proficiency; The field of teaching implementation competencies came in the first place, and in the second place came the field of teaching planning competencies. In the third and final place came the field of teaching evaluation competencies. The results also showed that there were statistically significant differences at the significance level (? = 0.05) between the scores of the quasi-experimental group members on the teaching performance in favor of the post-measurement. The study recommended the necessity of paying attention to the professional competencies of mathematics educators in the intermediate stage, by holding specialized in-service courses that include theoretical and practical mathematical and educational knowledge and information. And the need to pay attention to the professional growth of middle school mathematics teachers and the integration of knowledge and skills, in order to reach a high level of competence necessary for teaching mathematics.

The Effects of a Professional Development Program for Technology Integrated Algebra Teaching

This study examined technological pedagogical content knowledge change of middle school mathematics teachers who participated in a professional development program designed to integrate technology into teaching algebra. Twenty-eight middle school teachers from 20 different schools participated in the study. The data collection tools were technological pedagogical content knowledge survey, reflective journals, lesson plans, and program evaluation forms. The data analysis showed that the participants’ technological pedagogical content knowledge increased significantly. In addition, participants wrote lesson plans that included effective use of technology to teach algebra contents. The positive effects of the professional development program seem to be related to the following components of the program: the usability of the program activities in middle school classrooms, program’s focus on using technology in teaching algebra, the introduction of new technological tools and software related to mathematics, and the interactive nature of the program.

An Investigation of Pre-service Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Discussion Skills in the Context of Lesson Study

The purpose of the current study is to investigate how pre-service teachers have used five practices for conducting productive mathematical discussions (anticipating, monitoring, selecting, sequencing, and connecting) in teaching statistics throughout their participation in lesson study. Researchers employed a qualitative research method. The participants of the study were three pre-service teachers as they carried out three lesson studies. In the data analysis, the framework developed by Stein et al. (2008) was used. The results revealed that the pre-service teachers did not include all practices in their lesson plans and implementations at the beginning. As the lesson study progressed, the pre-service teachers attempted to include anticipating, monitoring, selecting, and connecting practices. However, the difficulties in terms of the sequencing practice were seen to be continuing. In light of the obtained findings, it was suggested that lesson study should be integrated into teacher training programs in Turkey.

Tracing students’ mathematics learning loss during school closures in teachers’ self-reported practices

The study explored how mathematics learning loss took place among Turkish middle school students during the COVID-19 school closures through mathematics teachers’ self-reported practices, challenges, and efforts while they were trying to support their students’ learning. Interviews with 19 public and 9 private middle school mathematics teachers indicated that there were certain differences in teachers’ practices and revealed the existing inequalities among the schools, classrooms, and students. Students’ lack of participation, teachers’ limited use of methods to teach mathematics, the socio-economic status of families and their lack of collaboration with teachers were among the reasons for mathematics learning loss.

Peningkatan Kreatifitas dan Efektifitas Pembelajaran Daring Matematika Bagi Guru SMP di Kecamatan Pattalassang melalui ISpring dan GeoGebra

Daring mathematics study leaves pupils with troubles and anxiety after more than a year of daring learning. Furthermore, students often struggle to understand instructional materials that need graphic interpretation when learning mathematics. This activity aims to improve the competence of mathematics teachers with skills using the iSpring and GeoGebra so that they can create creative and effective learning media so that their virtual mathematics learning becomes more interesting and understandable for students. This activity is conducted daring via Zoom and live on YouTube, as well as offline meetings that are carried out with due observance of health protocols. Lectures, demonstrations on the use of iSpring and GeoGebra, as well as monitoring and evaluation are methods used in daring and offline activities. The target audience for this community service is Middle School Mathematics teachers in Pattalassang District. The results of the training showed an increase in the understanding and skills of mathematics teachers in utilizing iSpring and GeoGebra multimedia. This improvement in IT skills can contribute to increasing creativity and effectiveness in learning mathematics in the classroom.

Opinions of Middle School Mathematics Teachers about Distance Education Mathematics Lessons

Bu araştırmanın amacı, ortaokul matematik öğretmenlerinin uzaktan eğitim matematik dersine ilişkin görüşlerini incelemektir. Araştırma nitel araştırma yöntemine göre tasarlanmıştır. Nitel araştırmalar, belli bir stratejiye dayalı olan desenlere göre yürütülür. Bu araştırmada olgubilim deseni kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada amaçlı örnekleme yöntemlerinden maksimum çeşitlilik örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Maksimum çeşitlilik ise kıdem, cinsiyet, öğrenim durumu ve uzaktan eğitime yönelik hizmet içi eğitim alma kriterlerine göre sağlanmıştır. Buna göre, Milli Eğitim Bakanlığında çalışmakta olan 10 ortaokul matematik öğretmeni araştırmaya dâhil edilmiştir. Veri toplama aracı olarak yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formlarından elde edilen veriler nitel veri çözümleme yöntemlerinden içerik analizi yoluyla çözümlenmiştir. Ortaokul matematik öğretmenleri uzaktan eğitim matematik dersinde, öğrencilerin internet erişiminin olmaması, öğrencilerin teknolojik araçlara (bilgisayar, tablet, akıllı telefon) sahip olmaması, internet altyapı sorunu ve öğrenci devamsızlığı problemleriyle karşılaştıklarını belirtmişlerdir. Matematik öğretmenleri öğrenci-öğrenci etkileşiminin kısıtlı olduğunu, öğretim programındaki kazanımlara yeterince erişilmediğini ve uzaktan eğitim matematik dersinin yararlı olmadığını ifade etmişlerdir. Öğrencilere ek kaynaklar ve materyal verilmesi, öğrencilerin internetinin yeterli olmasına ilişkin önerilerde bulunmuşlardır.

Pre-service Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Descriptions of Definite Integral and Indefinite Integral

The importance of calculus in mathematics, mathematics education, and other disciplines and the necessity of developing students’ conceptual understanding regarding integral, which is one of the major concepts in calculus course, are among the issues emphasized by researchers. Thus, the purposes of this study were to examine how pre-service middle school mathematics teachers describe definite integral and indefinite integral and also to what extent they can see the relation between definite integral and indefinite integral. For these purposes, 173 pre-service middle school mathematics teachers were asked to answer three questions. According to the findings, the concepts pre-service middle school mathematics teachers mentioned while describing both definite and indefinite integral are similar which are bound, notation, mathematical formula, example, area, volume, antiderivative, calculation process, the form of result (number, function, algebraic expression or unknown), and the constant c. It was also seen that mostly mentioned concept is bound for each type of integral. However, the minority of them presented evidence regarding the relation between definite integral and indefinite integral in their responses.