The purpose of this study is to provide useful information for teachers to make the most of mathematical communication in mathematics classes by analyzing mathematical communication between teachers and students through 'exploratory activity' and 'sto...
The purpose of this study is to provide useful information for teachers to make the most of mathematical communication in mathematics classes by analyzing mathematical communication between teachers and students through 'exploratory activity' and 'story corner' in 2008 elementary textbooks devised by the 2007 revised curriculum.
For the purpose of this study, research questions were established as follows:
1. How does the mathematical communication between teachers and students take place in mathematics classes of lower graders at elementary school?
1) How does the mathematical communication in classes take place with regard to questioning?
2) How does the mathematical communication in classes take place with regard to explaining?
3) How does the mathematical communication in classes take place with regard to the sources of mathematical ideas?
2. What are the similarities and differences of mathematical communication in 'exploratory activity' and 'story corner'?
To solve these research questions, qualitative case study research was applied. Four classes of the first and second graders at an elementary school implementing 'exploratory activity' and 'story corner' were observed and videotaped. Individual interviews with teachers were conducted. Mathematical communication of each class was analyzed in terms of questioning, explaining, and the sources of mathematical ideas. Also, the similarities and differences of mathematical communication in 'exploratory activity' and 'story corner' were analyzed.
The results from this study showed that there was difference between the levels of the mathematical communication depending on teachers' roles and that mathematical communication in classes implementing 'exploratory activity' took place more effectively. The conclusions drawn from this study are as follows:
First, with regard to questioning, student-to-student math talk was vigorous in a class that focused on exploring thinking processes rather than finding answers. Thus, teachers need to help students defend their ideas and find mathematical evidences by having them explain their answers regardless of correct answers and ask questions requiring reason or justification. As students tend to model questions that their teachers ask, teachers also need to ask open and various questions in response to students' ideas.
Second, with regard to explaining, students were able to explain their ideas by illustrating them from empirical or visual evidences despite the lower graders. Therefore, teachers need to encourage students to present their own methods for solving problems. And students should be encouraged to explain them and answer the questions posed by other students for themselves. In addition, teachers should help students foster attentive attitude so that they can ask what's doubtful or different from their ideas.
Third, with regard to the sources of mathematical ideas, mathematical communication in a class that accepted students' various ideas and discussed the appropriateness took place more actively. Therefore, it is required that teachers should select what's significant from students' ideas and apply it to classes. And opportunities to judge the appropriateness of their ideas themselves should be given to students.
Fourth, for the better mathematical communication in classes implementing 'story corner', teachers need to utilize diverse activities such as multiple representations or concrete manipulations in relation to contents of each unit rather than understanding of stories or solving the simple questions involved. And teachers need to help students understand by reconstructing the stories in teachers' manuals depending on students' abilities and create learning environment where student-to-student communication takes place actively.
Finally, teachers need to distinguish between mathematical communication and general communication in classes implementing 'story corner' definitely. Furthermore there is a need to help teachers instruct by including concrete questions and students' expected responses in teachers' manuals and provide teachers with various training programs for the enhancement of recognition about mathematical communication and the extension of mathematical communication ability.