An investigation of basic education teachers diploma (BETD) teachers' ability to use everyday contexts in the teaching of mathematics at junior secondary schools in Windhoek, Namibia
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Date
2012
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Abstract
This study sought to answer the following research questions:
1. How do BETD Mathematics teachers define everyday contexts?
2. What types of everyday contexts are used by BETD Mathematics teachers?
3. How often do BETD Mathematics teachers present content in contexts that the
learners already know?
4. What factors do BETD Mathematics teachers regard as affecting the
contextualization of content in their Mathematics lessons?
The main aim of this study was to gain insight into how effectively BETD teachers used everyday contexts to facilitate a meaningful understanding of the Mathematics content by the learners. The secondary aim was to gain an in-depth understanding of the existing conditions concerning BETD teachers’ use of everyday contexts in their Mathematics classrooms. This study was a descriptive, naturalistic, qualitative research. Data were collected using non-participant observations, open-ended questionnaires and one-on-one interviews.
Inductive data analysis was used to analyse the data collected. The main results of this study were that:
1. All participants had a relevant working understanding of the concept of
everyday contexts. However, their use of everyday contexts was very superficial
and inadequate in Mathematics teaching.
2. Everyday contexts were mainly used in the introduction phase of the lessons
and context use by the teachers was much more limited than previously thought
by the researcher.
3. BETD teachers had an exaggerated view of their use of everyday contexts in
Mathematics teaching.
4. Preference of procedural mathematical skills over conceptual understanding
impeded the effective integration of everyday contexts in Mathematics teaching.
5. There was a lack of instructional materials which incorporate everyday contexts.
6. The BETD teachers did not plan lessons which included everyday contexts.
7. The BETD teachers regarded the use of everyday contexts in Mathematics as
time consuming.
The results led to the conclusion that the benefits of integrating everyday contexts in Mathematics instruction were not reaped due to ineffective integration or total non-integration of everyday contexts in Mathematics teaching. Furthermore, the limited use of everyday contexts in Mathematics teaching could also be ascribed to the lack of lesson planning that incorporated contextual teaching and learning strategies.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education.
Keywords
Mathematics