ERIC Number: EJ1291759
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1306-3030
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Lesson Plans as a Mirror: A Close Look at Planning of Work with Underachieving Students
International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, v16 n1 Article em0621 2021
The study investigates mathematics lesson plans that teachers produced for re-teaching purposes. Its goal is to determine which aspects of mathematics-content knowledge are expressed in lesson plans on the topic of fractions prepared by primary math teachers and intended for underachieving students, and to see how these aspects are manifested. The data were gathered in an analysis of forty-nine lesson plans that the participating teachers prepared. The data were analysed in two phases: (1) a category analysis of the plans and (2) a statistical analysis of the data obtained, via cluster analysis and ANOVA tests. The findings point to four types of teachers in terms of their mathematical knowledge: (1) those whose knowledge is faulty; (2) those who have incomplete or scanty understanding of math but know how to phrase a mathematical idea correctly; (3) those who understand mathematical content well but are not strict about correctly describing the "mathematics" that they teach in the lesson; and (4) those thoroughly versed in mathematics, from whose lesson plans one may infer both correct wording of the mathematical idea and consistently correct use of mathematical concepts and principles. Despite the differences in their content knowledge, teachers of all four types planned to teach their students at a procedural level while attempting to impart conceptual knowledge--most likely because they expect little of their underachieving students. Practical recommendations derived from the study are offered.
Descriptors: Lesson Plans, Underachievement, Children, Elementary School Students, Mathematics Teachers, Mathematical Concepts, Fractions, Concept Teaching, Difficulty Level, Prior Learning, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teaching Methods, Individualized Instruction, Teacher Expectations of Students, Instructional Effectiveness, Foreign Countries
International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education. Suite 124, Challenge House 616 Mitcham Road, CR0 3AA, Croydon, London, UK. Tel: +44-208-936-7681; e-mail: iejme@iejme.com; Web site: https://www.iejme.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Israel
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A