Mathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classrooms

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dc.contributor.advisorEnsor, Paulaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorJaffer, Shaheedaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-13T13:05:49Z
dc.date.available2015-11-13T13:05:49Z
dc.date.issued2001en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaves 221-223.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation is concerned with a systematic description of the recontextualization of the practices of a textbook, Maths for all Grade 7 Learner's Activity Book, when it is incorporated into grade 7 mathematics teachers' classroom practices. In particular, the research described here focuses on the impact of the textbook on four grade 7 mathematics teachers' classroom practices. My study forms a sub-project of a larger research project which explores the impact of the textbook, Maths for all Grade 7 Learner's Activity Book, in 14 grade 7 mathematics classrooms. The research design of my study comprised two aspects: an analysis of a chapter from the textbook, Maths for all Grade 7 Learner's Activity Book, and an analysis of its use in classrooms. Data collected included a textbook chapter on measurement and the accompanying chapter in the teacher's guide, questionnaires (learner, teacher and school), teacher interviews, video recordings of observed lessons and learner notebooks. Drawing largely on Paul Dowling's Social Activity Theory and Paula Ensor's extension of this work in her study on teacher education, a theoretical model was developed for the analysis of data. The theoretical model was supplemented with theoretical concepts from Basil Bernstein's sociological theory of pedagogic discourse. While the model was developed in relation to the content and use of a specific textbook, the model can potentially be used for other mathematics textbooks or textbooks from other disciplines. Analysis shows that the textbook, which embodies an inductive, exploratory pedagogy, cannot on its own achieve learner's apprenticeship into mathematics, or teacher's apprenticeship into its privileged mode of teaching mathematics. The analysis of the teachers' use of textbook shows that in most cases, the privileged pedagogy of the textbook differed considerably from the preferred pedagogy of the teachers. Most teachers preferred a deductive pedagogy and used the textbook in ways which fragmented the mathematical knowledge presented to learners, reduced the mathematical complexity of the textbook tasks and consequently transformed the pedagogic intentions of the textbook. The research therefore concludes that the transformative role of the textbook needs to be accompanied by teacher development programmes.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationJaffer, S. (2001). <i>Mathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classrooms</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14964en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationJaffer, Shaheeda. <i>"Mathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classrooms."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14964en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationJaffer, S. 2001. Mathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classrooms. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Jaffer, Shaheeda AB - This dissertation is concerned with a systematic description of the recontextualization of the practices of a textbook, Maths for all Grade 7 Learner's Activity Book, when it is incorporated into grade 7 mathematics teachers' classroom practices. In particular, the research described here focuses on the impact of the textbook on four grade 7 mathematics teachers' classroom practices. My study forms a sub-project of a larger research project which explores the impact of the textbook, Maths for all Grade 7 Learner's Activity Book, in 14 grade 7 mathematics classrooms. The research design of my study comprised two aspects: an analysis of a chapter from the textbook, Maths for all Grade 7 Learner's Activity Book, and an analysis of its use in classrooms. Data collected included a textbook chapter on measurement and the accompanying chapter in the teacher's guide, questionnaires (learner, teacher and school), teacher interviews, video recordings of observed lessons and learner notebooks. Drawing largely on Paul Dowling's Social Activity Theory and Paula Ensor's extension of this work in her study on teacher education, a theoretical model was developed for the analysis of data. The theoretical model was supplemented with theoretical concepts from Basil Bernstein's sociological theory of pedagogic discourse. While the model was developed in relation to the content and use of a specific textbook, the model can potentially be used for other mathematics textbooks or textbooks from other disciplines. Analysis shows that the textbook, which embodies an inductive, exploratory pedagogy, cannot on its own achieve learner's apprenticeship into mathematics, or teacher's apprenticeship into its privileged mode of teaching mathematics. The analysis of the teachers' use of textbook shows that in most cases, the privileged pedagogy of the textbook differed considerably from the preferred pedagogy of the teachers. Most teachers preferred a deductive pedagogy and used the textbook in ways which fragmented the mathematical knowledge presented to learners, reduced the mathematical complexity of the textbook tasks and consequently transformed the pedagogic intentions of the textbook. The research therefore concludes that the transformative role of the textbook needs to be accompanied by teacher development programmes. DA - 2001 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2001 T1 - Mathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classrooms TI - Mathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classrooms UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14964 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14964
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationJaffer S. Mathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classrooms. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 2001 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14964en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentSchool of Educationen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherMathematics Educationen_ZA
dc.titleMathematics, pedagogy and textbooks : a study of textbook use in Grade 7 mathematics classroomsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMEden_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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