Students’ experiences with mathematics teaching and learning: listening to unheard voices

Abstract

This study documents students' views about the nature of mathematics, the mathematics learning process and factors within the classroom that are perceived to impact upon the learning of mathematics. The participants were senior secondary school students. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to understand the students' views about their experiences with mathematics learning and mathematics classroom environment. Interviews of students and mathematics lesson observations were analysed to understand how students view their mathematics classes. A questionnaire was used to solicit students' views with regards to teaching approaches in mathematics classes. The results suggest that students consider learning and understanding mathematics to mean being successful in getting the correct answers. Students reported that in the majority of cases, the teaching of mathematics was lecture-oriented. Mathematics language was considered a barrier in learning some topics in mathematics. The use of informal language was also evident during mathematics class lessons.

Learners’ Critical Thinking About Learning Mathematics

“…which are seen to be correlated with the feelings of disaffection, failure and loss of interest in learning mathematics (Zan et al, 2006). Therefore, the literature regarding learners' mathematics-related beliefs includes a large spectrum of studies exploring their beliefs about topics such as -the nature of mathematics (Young-Loveridge et al, 2006), attitude towards learning mathematics (Grootenboer & Marshman, 2016), self-efficacy (Kele & Sharma, 2014), mathematics teaching (Mapolelo, 2009), the use-value of mathematics (Kollosche, 2017;Onion, 2004;Pais, 2013), their mathematical identities (Andersson et al, 2015;Bishop, 2012), emotional disaffection (Nardi & Steward, 2003), anxiety (Young et al, 2012) towards mathematics; and more.…”

Students' Beliefs About Mathematics Learning and Problem Solving: The Case of Grade Eleven Students in West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia

“…For example, Mapolelo conducted a research on beliefs about the nature of mathematics, mathematics learning and factors that impact on learning mathematics in three rural senior secondary schools in Botswana [2]. Finding revealed that students feel learning by memorization determines their success in solving problems.…”

“…As Mapolelo these beliefs may pose difficulties for teachers who may hold constructivist views of mathematics and want to teach mathematics in a constructivist manner. Because, the views that students hold on how mathematics problems are solved and on the number of solutions to the mathematics problems are an important component in the culture of the mathematics classroom, since it is linked with the way mathematics is taught and received [2].…”

“…They also challenge the teaching process. Because, they may pose difficulties for teachers who may hold constructivist views of mathematics and want to teach mathematics in a constructivist manner [2].…”

“…Also, lack of consideration from mathematics teachers and students' poor time management contributed for students' high emphasis on memorization in learning mathematics. Students who are required to memorize methods and procedures in mathematics will inevitably believe that mathematics is mainly a matter of following disconnected rules and symbols, and might have more to do with gaining approval than with making sense of mathematics [2].…”