Constructivism in Mathematics Classrooms: Listening to Ghanaian Teachers' and Students' Views

Autor/inn/en	Ampadu, Ernest; Danso, Albert
Titel	Constructivism in Mathematics Classrooms: Listening to Ghanaian Teachers' and Students' Views
Quelle	In: Africa Education Review, 15 (2018) 3, S.49-71 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Ampadu, Ernest) ORCID (Danso, Albert)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1814-6627
DOI	10.1080/18146627.2017.1340808
Schlagwörter	Constructivism (Learning); Mathematics Instruction; Foreign Countries; Mathematics Teachers; Student Attitudes; Educational Change; Junior High Schools; Junior High School Students; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Teacher Student Relationship; Mathematics Curriculum; Ghana + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Ausland; Mathematics; Teacher; Teachers; Mathematik; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Schülerverhalten; Bildungsreform; Sekundarstufe I; Junior High Schools; Student; Students; Schüler; Schülerin; Lehrerverhalten; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Teacher student relationships; Lehrer-Schüler-Beziehung
Abstract	One of the challenges of implementing a new curriculum is how to bridge the gap between the underlining principles of the curriculum and the cultural and social orientations of the society which includes teachers and students. This article reports on a study that explored how the cultural and social orientations of teachers and students can influence the implementation of a constructivist curriculum in mathematics classrooms. The data for the study came from 250 students and 41 mathematics teachers, using questionnaires, observations, and interviews. The results showed that inasmuch as mathematics teachers and their students acknowledge the importance of student's active participation and teamwork, these practices have not been fully conceptualised into the Ghanaian mathematics classroom due to some cultural factors. Two main cultural factors were discovered from the analyses of the results. Firstly, the culture of acknowledging only correct answers in class has a negative impact on individual students' confidence and participation during mathematics lessons. Also, the culture of teamwork is not fully accepted within Ghanaian classrooms as most students find it difficult working in groups and accepting and appreciating each other's view. It was evident in all lessons that students were ridiculed by their peers when they provide a wrong answer to a question and this affected individual students' participation in the classroom. Therefore, we suggested that teachers should be pro-active in promoting a classroom environment which is free from fear and intimidation to motivate students to be actively involved in the classroom discourse. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01