Eastern Cape teachers’ beliefs of the nature of mathematics: Implications for the introduction of in-service mathematical literacy programmes for teachers

dc.creator	Lyn Webb
dc.creator	Paul Webb
dc.date	2011-10-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:16:11Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:16:11Z
dc.identifier	10.4102/pythagoras.v33i4.122
dc.identifier	1012-2346
dc.identifier	2223-7895
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/c7b38e0eb5854237b08c84b3d74ab4a4
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/18277
dc.description	Various studies have shown that what teachers consider to be optimal ways of teaching mathematics is influenced by their beliefs about the nature of mathematics, and that it is advantageous to determine teachers’ conceptions of the nature of mathematics before developing curriculum interventions. With the imminent introduction of Mathematical Literacy in the FET phase in South Africa this study provides a snapshot of beliefs of teachers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Various methods were employed to stimulate teachers to both reflect on their beliefs and to make them explicit. A questionnaire was administered to 339 in-service teachers in urban and rural areas of the Eastern Cape. A sample of ninety-five of these teachers completed a second questionnaire based on videotapes of lessons recorded during the TIMSS (1995) study that they had viewed. These teachers also ranked their own teaching on a continuum ranging from traditional to constructivist approaches and provided explanations for their ranking. A further sub-sample of thirty-six teachers participated in individual interviews, which explored their perceptions of the nature of mathematics and their own teaching practice. In order to investigate whether these beliefs were mirrored in practice, four teachers were observed and videotaped in their classrooms. The data generated by this study suggest that the participating teachers’ espoused beliefs of the nature of mathematics tended to be innovative, and correlated with innovative views of teaching and learning; however these views were often not reflected in their practice. The implications that the apparent inability of teachers to translate their beliefs into practice have for the introduction of a contextual, problem-based Mathematical Literacy curriculum for teachers is explored.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	AOSIS OpenJournals
dc.relation	http://www.pythagoras.org.za/index.php/pythagoras/article/view/122
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1012-2346
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2223-7895
dc.rights	CC BY
dc.source	Pythagoras, Vol 33, Iss 4, Pp 13-19 (2011)
dc.subject	beliefs
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics and Statistics
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics and Statistics
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.title	Eastern Cape teachers’ beliefs of the nature of mathematics: Implications for the introduction of in-service mathematical literacy programmes for teachers
dc.type	article