Date of Award
2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Education
Program
Education
Supervisor
Dr. Immaculate Namukasa, PhD.
Abstract
In mathematics education, communication is one of the foundational cornerstones. The Ontario Ministry of Education and Training has placed a significant emphasis on communication in the mathematics classroom. In The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8:
Mathematics Revised (2004), communication is highlighted as one of the seven mathematical processes as well as one of the four categories for assessment on the achievement chart. Communication takes many forms in the mathematics classroom including questioning, written response, and discourse. Despite all of the emphasis on communication, the employment of quality communication in mathematics is somewhat elusive. One method for eliciting quality communication in mathematics is through conceptual questioning. The question then arises, can a generalist intermediate teacher create and implement conceptual questions, and assess student responses in terms of conceptual understanding and communication. Using the action research format known as learning study I investigate two teachers. Learning study provided the opportunity for the teachers to examine the creation and application of conceptual questioning through the development and implementation of the rate and ratio unit. The data collected, some of which contains a narrative format, was viewed through a variation theory and phenomenography lens. The data revealed that within certain specific conditions, the creation and employment of conceptual questions can be accomplished by generalist teachers, albeit to varying degrees of success.
Recommended Citation
Insley, Stephanie Noelle, "COMMUNICATION IN MATHEMATICS: A CASE FOR CONCPTUAL QUESTIONING IN ONTARIO MIDDLE SCHOOLS" (2010). Digitized Theses. 3723.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3723