Eleven Grade 1 Teachers' Understandings of Mathematical Language in a South African Context

Autor/inn/en	Coetzer, Tanja; Livingston, Candice; Barnard, Elna
Titel	Eleven Grade 1 Teachers' Understandings of Mathematical Language in a South African Context
Quelle	In: Reading & Writing: Journal of the Literacy Association of South Africa, 14 (2023) 1, Artikel 409 (11 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Coetzer, Tanja) ORCID (Livingston, Candice) ORCID (Barnard, Elna)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2079-8245
Schlagwörter	Mathematics Teachers; Elementary School Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Knowledge Level; Mathematics Instruction; Vocabulary; Foreign Countries; English; Language of Instruction; African Languages; Scaffolding (Teaching Technique); South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mathematics; Teacher; Teachers; Mathematik; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Elementary school; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrerverhalten; Wissensbasis; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Wortschatz; Ausland; English language; Englisch; Teaching language; Unterrichtssprache; Africa; Language; Languages; Afrika; Sprachen; Afrikanische Sprache; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	Background: Fluency in mathematical language is essential for learning mathematics. Teachers must understand and use their diverse mathematical knowledge, including language and communication difficulties inherent to mathematics instruction. According to recent South African research, Grade 1 teachers are not equipped to utilise learners' linguistic skills for efficient learning of mathematics. Objectives: This research investigates South African Grade 1 teachers' mathematical language perceptions, experiences, and feelings. These Grade 1 teachers' transcripts were analysed to discover their understanding of the language of mathematics. Method: Exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research designs were used in conjunction with an adapted interactive qualitative analysis technique. Focus group interviews, individual interviews, and lesson observations, together with a purposive sampling technique, were used to gather the data from both public and private primary schools. Results: The results showed that Grade 1 teachers view mathematics as a separate language with its own vocabulary and register. The findings highlighted the need to simplify the language of mathematics to enhance understanding. Conclusion: This research concluded that language is essential to mathematics learning and that mathematics has its own register, which is acquired like any other additional language. To help isiXhosa learners understand mathematics in English, scaffolding strategies must be aligned with their linguistic demands. Contribution: This article provides important recommendations for teachers who need to recognise the reality that English is the lingua franca and ensure isiXhosa home language-speaking learners receive the necessary support to acquire actual proficiency in the academic register of English for mathematical language learning. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01