No abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">Lesson planning is considered to be an important and efficient tool for effective teaching and learning process. Preparations of effective lesson plan requires teachers to be competent in the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study investigated how the mathematics teachers’ PCK impact their competences on designing effective lesson plans. Twelve in-service mathematics teachers from public secondary schools in Unguja-Island (Zanzibar) of Tanzania were involved. The data were collected using the reviewing of the teachers’ mathematics lesson plan documents and teachers’ interview. The data were analyzed in both quantitative and qualitative mode based on the lesson plan framework guideline (LPFG) and the criteria for better planning of the sections jointly with PCK abilities indicators. The percentage average of occurrence of the sections in the teachers’ designed lesson plan (DLP) and the percentage of occurrence of different category within the sections of the DLP in relation to the criteria were determined. Also, the challenges faced by the teachers in their DLP were identified. The result of the analysis revealed that the PCK competences of mathematics teachers are not good enough to impact their DLP, as some of their designing lesson plan sections were occurred inconsistently. Also, the implementation of PCK competences for effective mathematics teaching found to be at developing stage, as some criteria related to it were not clearly observed in their DLP. The study recommends the demand of in-service training for mathematics teachers on the implementation of teachers’ competences particularly PCK in the lesson plan designing for effective classroom practices.</p>

This study sought to establish the effect of representations strategies on Secondary School students’ Mathematics Achievement in Unguja Island, Zanzibar. Four out of sixteen public secondary schools located in the urban district of Unguja Island were randomly selected. Two of these schools were assigned as the experimental group while the other two were the control group. Participants were students from level three who were sampled based on the type of group to which the school is assigned. Achievement tests (pre-test and post-test) based on mathematics topics of relation and function were used as an instrument for data collection. Data was analyzed quantitatively in terms of descriptive statistics and t-tests. The study established no initial difference in performance between the control and the experimental groups. After the intervention, the experimental group which used multiple representation strategies outperformed the control group. Therefore, the study recommends that teachers should implement multiple representation strategies during the mathematics teaching. Additionally, teachers should be provided with in-service training on proper utilization of varieties of representation strategies in teaching and learning of mathematics for better results to be realized.