Secondary School Mathematics Teachers Research Articles

Is Digital Game-Based Learning Possible in Mathematics Classrooms?

The literature reports that while digital educational games are used in the elementary classroom, they are rarely, if ever, used in the upper secondary mathematics classroom. In order to investigate this situation, a survey was conducted to determine what upper secondary school mathematics teachers think about digital games and what obstacles and limitations they perceive in using DGBL as a teaching approach. The results indicate that mathematics teachers view digital games as a useful teaching tool; however, the lack of knowledge about teaching with digital games and shortage of appropriate games for teaching upper secondary mathematics seems to discourage them from using them as a main teaching tool. These findings imply that professional development should be designed with a focus on teacher training. Furthermore, the development of constructionist-based games should be considered, where games are based on meaning-making rather than practicing mathematical content, as has previously been the case.

Impact evaluation of universal basic education commission capacity building program on mathematics teacher testing skills in akwa ibom state, nigeria

This study evaluated the impact of the in-service training program offered by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Nigeria on the testing skill of Mathematics teachers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study adopted the expo facto research design research. A two-stage sampling involving simple random and stratified techniques were employed to select 134 from the 530 Mathematics teachers in the public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The instrument used for the data collection was, Teacher Testing Skills Assessment Scale (TTSAS) developed by the researchers based on the objective of the study. The instrument was validated by three measurement experts and trial tested. The reliability coefficient of .77 was obtained from the inter-rater method of reliability estimate. The data collected was analyzed using mean, standard deviation and independent sample t-test. The results of the analysis revealed that the UBEC in-service training program has significant positive impact on Mathematics teachers’ testing skills. It was concluded that the UBEC teachers’ capacity development program is a profitable venture with promising national gains. It was recommended that government should continue with her support for the UBEC in sustaining regular in-service training program for teachers in secondary schools across the nation.

The Dynamic Vectors-Based Attention Model for Chinese Mathematical Term Extraction

Term extraction aims to extract domain-specific terminology from documents. Secondary school mathematics terminology plays a guiding role in the learning and teaching of secondary school mathematics. We found that it needs to be more corpus in this field and that there are two main issues in extracting the terms from the middle school mathematics text: polysemy of one character problem and nested terms problem. Accordingly, we have constructed a secondary school mathematics corpus and proposed a model to resolve these problems, termed BERT-LLA-CRF. Using pre-training to obtain dynamic word vectors to improve the model’s understanding of text semantics and solve the problem of multiple meanings of one word, the proposed model integrates attention mechanisms and Chinese character information to solve the nested terminology problem. The experiment results show that the proposed model effectively solves those problems and achieves good middle-school mathematics term extraction results.

The Levels of Practicing Strategies and Tools for Alternative Assessment by Secondary School Mathematics Teachers in The Light of Distance Learning from Their Students Point of View

The Levels of Practicing Strategies and Tools for Alternative Assessment by Secondary School Mathematics Teachers in The Light of Distance Learning from Their Students Point of View

Material Features That Determine the Activity Preferences of Mathematics Teachers

Researchers working on activity-based mathematics teaching suggest that the materials deeply shape the design and implementations. Despite this effect, empirical knowledge about how teachers approach the materials in their activity selection, and which features of the materials are decisive in their preferences is quite limited. Hence this study aims to designate material features determinant in teachers’ mathematical activity preferences. This research was designed as a multiple case study and was conducted with three secondary school mathematics teachers. During the data collection process, six consecutive semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. While structuring the interview process, multiple activities were prepared with different materials to serve the same gain. The data were analyzed by thematic analysis method. The analyses yielded five distinct features that accounted for teachers’ selection and preferences of mathematical activities with regard to materials: serving to the mathematical gains, functionality, accessibility, being proficient in use and student familiarity. The findings showed that teachers' activity preferences had a complex structure and pointed out that instructional decisions were not only shaped on a pedagogical basis and were not only concerned with students' mathematical development. Based on the evaluations of the teachers, it was concluded that the predictions about the affordances and constraints of the materials were decisive in the activity selection.

Evaluation of Psychosocial Risks Among High School Teachers in Morocco

Professional hazards, particularly psychosocial risks that are likely to affect teachers' physical and mental health, are a particular concern in the education sector. It is in this context that this research work lies to evaluate the psychosocial risks encountered by secondary school mathematics teachers in Safi city (Morocco). Indeed, it is a cross-sectional descriptive study based on a questionnaire that compiled socio-demographic and professional data as well as the psychometric variables of the French version of the KARASEK questionnaire. The latter has three components, namely psychological demand (PD), decision latitude (DL), and social support (SS). The sample consisted of 218 teachers, ranging from 22 to 61 years old, and the participation rate was 72.66%. The sex ratio was 1.5, out of which 61% were males surpassing that of women, 39%. The prevalence of stress risk variables was 98%, 79%, and 4% for high PD, low DL, and low SS, respectively. While Isostrain prevalence was detected only in 2% of instances, job strain was present in 77% of them. It is trusty to mention that men are proven to be more exposed to the lack of social support, “Job-strain” and isostrain than women. Indeed, they experience stress at work, thus demonstrating that psychosocial risks are significant occupational exposure for teachers. These results promote the development of prevention means to improve working conditions and protect the teachers’ well-being.

Can Experience Determine the Adoption of Industrial Revolution 4.0 Skills in 21st Century Mathematics Education?

Teachers in secondary schools were studied to determine their readiness to adopt fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies to enhance their teaching practices and student learning. Through Industry 4.0, technologies are also becoming available as products for education, transforming the rules and norms of education. Secondary school mathematics teachers in Nigeria must prepare themselves to embrace digital skills so that they will be ready for new teaching and learning processes that are being introduced by these new digital tools. In this study, a cross-sectional quantitative approach was used. The data were collected using a self-developed instrument with a content validity index of 0.96 and a MacDonald Omega reliability index of 0.84. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 211 mathematics teachers in three Lagos State education districts. Analyses of the obtained data were performed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at a significance level of 0.05. Results indicate that mathematics teachers are ready to integrate 4IR skills and emerging technologies into their classrooms. In addition, the willingness of participants to adopt relevant 4IR skills across their years of experience was statistically significant. A new path is charted for school administrators, mathematics teachers, and stakeholders in the education sector to assist in policy design toward 4IR, thereby contributing to the existing literature on adopting emerging technologies to teach mathematics education in sub-Saharan Africa.

Woo-Hoo! The Mathematics and Education of the D’oh-Nut A Review of Simon Singh’s The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets

I am a mathematics educator working in a Faculty of Education, at a mid-sized university. I have degrees in mathematics, teaching, and education related to the teaching and learning of mathematics. I also have twenty years of experience with school boards as a secondary school mathematics teacher and department head. It is from these experiences, knowledge, and professional practice that I approached this book review—from a place of how I see the world around me and work to understand it. I love thinking about and working to understand teachers’ beliefs, problem solving, and professional learning in problem solving contexts, and thus my secondary school teacher ‘self’, or identity, is quite interconnected to my mathematics education researcher ‘self, or identity.

SENIOR SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ AWARENESS AND PERCEPTIONS OF ICT RESOURCES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

This study therefore investigated senior school Mathematics teachers’ awareness and perceptions of ICT resources for teaching and learning of Mathematics: a case of Nigeria. A descriptive research of the survey type was employed. The population for the study consisted of all Senior Secondary School Mathematics teachers in Kwara-Central, Kwara State, Nigeria where two hundred and fifty five Mathematics (255) teachers were involved in the study. Public and private school Mathematics teachers were selected using simple random sampling technique. The research instrument used in the study was “Mathematics Teachers’ Awareness and Perceptions of ICT Resources Questionnaire” (MTAPIRQ). A reliability value of 0.83 was determined using Cronbach alpha in the SPSS version 22. Data were analyzed using percentage and chi-square statistical tools at 0.05 significant level. The result revealed that Mathematics teachers are aware and have positive perceptions of ICT resources for teaching and learning. The result finally revealed that teachers’ perceptions are not dependent on their years of teaching experience. Recommendations were therefore made.

The effect of a formative assessment practice on student achievement in mathematics

Research has shown that formative assessment can enhance student learning. However, it is conceptualised and implemented in different ways, and its effects on student achievement vary. A need has been identified for experimental studies to carefully describe both the characteristics of implemented formative assessment practices and their impact on student achievement. We examined the effects on student achievement of changes in formative assessment of a random sample of 14 secondary school mathematics teachers after a professional development programme. This study describes practices implemented and students’ achievement as measured by pre-tests and post-tests. We found no significant differences in achievement on the post-test, after controlling for pre-test scores, between the intervention group and control group, and no significant correlation between the number of formative assessment activities implemented and the post-test scores (controlled for the pre-test scores). We discuss characteristics of formative assessment implementations that may be critical for enhancing student achievement.

Matematik Öğretmenlerinin Perspektifinden Matematik Öğretiminde Üst Düzey Düşünme Becerilerinin Geliştirilmesi

Araştırmanın amacı, matematik öğretiminde üst düzey düşünme becerilerinin nasıl geliştirileceğinin incelenmesidir. Araştırma nitel araştırma yaklaşımlarından durum çalışmasına göre yürütülmüştür. Çalışma grubunu amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenen 28 matematik öğretmeni oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme soruları ve araştırmacı günlüğü kullanılmıştır. Veriler içerik analizi ile analiz edilmiştir. Verilerin analizinde MAXQUDA 2020 programı kullanılmıştır. Bulgulara göre; matematik öğretmenleri üst düzey düşünmeyi eleştirel yaklaşım, sorunun üstesinde gelme, problemlere farklı çözüm yolları geliştirme olarak ifade etmektedir. Üst düzey düşünme becerileri öğrencilerin çoğunluğunda alt seviyelerdedir. Matematik öğretmenlerinin üst düzey düşünme becerilerini geliştirebilmek için derslerinde çeşitli uygulamalara yer verdikleri, ancak söz konusu becerileri yeterince geliştiremediklerini düşündükleri ortaya çıkmaktadır. Matematik öğretmenleri öğrencilerdeki üst düzey düşünme beceri seviyelerinin alt seviyelerde olmasının ve derslerde yeterince geliştirilememesinin sebeplerini öğrenci, öğretmen, sistemsel ve toplum/aile açısından ortaya koymaktadırlar. Araştırmada matematik öğretiminde üst düzey düşünme becerilerinin geliştirilmesi için öğrenci, öğretmen, toplum/aile, matematik öğretim süreci, eğitim politikasına yönelik olarak neler yapılabileceğine dair sonuçlar elde edilmiştir. Matematik öğretmenlerinin perspektifinden yapılan bu araştırmanın sınıf öğretmenleri ve ortaokul matematik öğretmenleri üzerinde yapılması önerilebilir.

The Role of Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) in Enhancing Mathematics Competency and Proficiency in Secondary School Learners

This paper examines the significance and contribution of CALA to the mathematics knowledge of students. It focuses on the instruments and methods used in CALA to teach mathematics effectively in Zimbabwe. Learners’ failure to implement what they learn in mathematics has been worrisome to the Ministry of Education whose focus is to promote industrialisation through effective teaching and learning of STEM subjects. It is believed that most learners memorise mathematics with little understanding in order to pass an examination. Inappropriate and ill-suited assessment methods of mathematics are regarded as the principal causes of this rote learning approach by learners. The educational policy makers came up with the concept of CALA, which was effected in 2021, to all levels of education in Zimbabwe. According to the curriculum framework, learners are expected to demonstrate their knowledge of mathematics through CALA. However, whilst the intended goal of CALA is prudent, the concern is whether teachers are knowledgeable about how this model of assessment can be implemented effectively. Ten secondary school mathematics teachers were interviewed to examine their views and practices in the classroom implementation of the CALA component. In this study, the findings established that the incorporation of the component in the teaching and learning of mathematics has come with limited benefits that were marred by teachers’ knowledge deficiency to operationalise CALA. This study recommends thorough support and developmental programmes which can equip teachers with the appropriate skills to implement CALA.

The relevance of basic numerical skills for fraction processing: Evidence from cross-sectional data.

Recent research indicated that fraction understanding is an important predictor of later mathematical achievement. In the current study we investigated associations between basic numerical skills and students' fraction processing. We analyzed data of 939 German secondary school students (age range = 11.92 to 18.00 years) and evaluated the determinants of fraction processing considering basic numerical skills as predictors (i.e., number line estimation, basic arithmetic operations, non-symbolic magnitude comparison, etc.). Additionally, we controlled for general cognitive ability, grade level, and sex. We found that multiplication, subtraction, conceptual knowledge, number line estimation, and basic geometry were significantly associated with fraction processing beyond significant associations of general cognitive ability and sex. Moreover, relative weight analysis revealed that addition and approximate arithmetic should also be considered as relevant predictors for fraction processing. The current results provide food for thought that further research should focus on investigating whether recapitulating basic numerical content in secondary school mathematics education can be beneficial for acquiring more complex mathematical concepts such as fractions.

The Pedagogical Manifestations: A Driver of Teachers’ Practices in Teaching Algebraic Equations

<p style="text-align: justify;">Mathematics teachers’ instructional strategies lack in-depth knowledge of algebraic systems and hold misconceptions about solving two algebraic equations simultaneously. This study aimed to gain an in-depth analysis of teachers’ knowledge and perceptions about the promotion of conceptual learning and effective teaching of algebraic equations. The main question was, ‘How do junior secondary school mathematics teachers manifest their pedagogical practices when teaching algebraic equations? This article reports on a qualitative, underpinned by the knowledge quartet model study, that sought to explore how junior secondary school teachers’ pedagogical practices manifested in the teaching of algebraic equations. Data were collected from observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of two mathematics teachers purposely selected from two schools. The collected data were analysed using a statistical analysis software called Atlas-ti. (Version 8) and triangulated through thematic analysis. The study revealed that teachers’ choices of representations, examples, and tasks used did not expose learners to hands-on activities that promote understanding and making connections from the underlying algebraic equation concepts. The study proposed Penta-Knowledge Collaborative Planning and Reflective Teaching and Learning Models to enable teachers to collaborate with their peers from the planning stage to lesson delivery reflecting on good practices and strategies for teaching algebraic equations.</p>

Secondary school mathematics teacher-perceived factors involved in argumentation: an emerging framework

ABSTRACT Our research focuses on ways teachers envision argumentation in their secondary mathematics classrooms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 secondary school mathematics teachers in Israel. They were asked to envisage a hypothetical classroom dialogue focusing on mathematical tasks which would engage their students in some argumentative activity. Analysis of the teachers’ responses identified categories related to both structural and dialogic aspects associated with three dimensions of argumentation: (1) task characteristics, (2) teaching strategies, and (3) students’ characteristics. From a cross-analysis of the teachers’ statements certain categories appeared more frequently than others. We interpret our results from a theoretical and practical perspective and make recommendations for areas of future research.

Secondary mathematics education in South Africa and Zimbabwe: Learning from one another

This comparative research examines secondary school mathematics education systems in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Data were gathered through the examination of mathematics curriculum policy documents, syllabi, exam papers, research reports, and the author’s personal experiences. The findings suggest that both countries can learn from one another. Lessons for South Africa include increasing the time and pass mark for mathematics exams, as well as spreading continuous assessment over a longer period of time. South Africa may possibly reduce the number of subjects offered in grades 11 and 12 to allow learners more time to study mathematics. Redesigning question papers to include optional questions for learners could also be beneficial. Lessons for Zimbabwe include increasing mathematics education resources and mandating mathematics for all advanced level candidates. Zimbabwe may also conduct trial examinations and hire mathematics curriculum advisors to assist mathematics teachers in schools on a regular basis.

Mathematics student personas for the design of technology-enhanced learning environments

To benefit from the quickly expanding range of new possibilities of technology-enhanced education, school systems, schools, and teachers need to adapt quickly. Conversely, the needs of students and teachers in a technology-enhanced classroom require technology developers to provide and improve suitable technologies. In this paper, we aim to show how to make the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers accessible to developers of technologies and also to teacher trainers and trainees by the use of student personas, i.e., portraits of archetypical students with particular characteristics and needs. We have collected qualitative data from pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers in Austrian academic upper secondary schools about the characteristics and needs of their students. We have analysed these data using a grounded theory approach to derive demands of students on technology-enhanced learning environments (TELEs). We have identified and presented five personas, each with specific demands on TELEs, to represent this target group. By introducing this approach that combines techniques from mathematics education research and from user experience research, we are able to represent user groups of a mathematics technology-enhanced learning environment in a more relatable way than was previously possible. These relatable representations of students in Austrian academic upper secondary schools could be of particular importance for developers of technology-enhanced learning environments for teaching and learning mathematics. The methodology presented in this paper is adaptable to other contexts.

Predicting secondary school mathematics teachers' digital teaching behavior using partial least squares structural equation modeling

<abstract> <p>Digital technologies play a key role in the digital transformation of education. In order to improve teaching effectiveness and efficiency, teachers should use digital technologies appropriately. However, some secondary school mathematics teachers have little confidence in their digital teaching behavior. This study aimed to explore the predictors of secondary school mathematics teachers' digital teaching behavior. An extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model was adopted to predict secondary school mathematics teachers' digital teaching behavior. A questionnaire survey was conducted with all junior high school mathematics teachers in a state-level new area, which is located in a central province of China. Three hundred and eighty-five valid data were collected. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used to analyze the data. It was found that technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) was the biggest predictor of secondary school mathematics teachers' digital teaching behavior. Attitude, behavioral intention, performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence can also affect teachers' digital teaching behavior in direct and/or indirect ways. The findings have noteworthy realistic implications for enhancing digital teaching behavior of secondary school mathematics teachers and promoting digital transformation of secondary school mathematics education.</p> </abstract>

Investigation of secondary school mathematics teachers' skills in using nature-related learning materials

It has been observed that nature and science school programs have become popular in the educational environment in Turkey, and these programs are seen as a way to improve students' attitudes towards science. The general aim of these programs is to demonstrate how scientific facts and concepts in various fields are related to daily life and to make the study enjoyable. The aim of the research is to enable mathematics teachers to increase both their mathematics selfefficacy and their awareness of the sustainability of ecosystems by effectively using learning materials associated with nature. The method of the research is a pre-test-post-test design without a control group. Data collection tools were determined to be a mathematics self-efficacy scale and an ecosystem sustainability awareness scale. Data analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and descriptive statistics, which are non-parametric analysis methods. The findings of the study showed a positive and significant increase in the mathematics self-efficacy and awareness levels of 25 secondary school teachers working in different schools throughout Mersin who participated in the "Digital Approaches to the Mathematics of the Ecosystem" project supported by TÜBİTAK, due to nature-related activities. It is believed that the use of nature-related learning materials in mathematics teaching will make mathematics lessons more comprehensible and enjoyable, and will help students develop a more positive attitude towards mathematics lessons.

Research on Mathematics Activity Teaching in Secondary Vocational Schools from the Perspective of Literacy Improvement

The essence of the teaching reform is to improve students' comprehensive professional ability, so how to build an efficient classroom, enhance students' mathematics literacy has become an unavoidable problem faced by mathematics teachers in secondary vocational schools. This paper introduces the teaching of mathematics activities based on magnet small blackboard. The design of teaching links focuses on how students learn, pays attention to students' participation in learning, graphic analysis and the improvement of mathematical operation ability, helps students transform the learning experience of mathematics activities into the direction of mathematics core literacy, and truly realizes the landing and improvement of students' mathematics core literacy.