In this study, I examined the topic of teaching for visual literacy by mathematics teachers in Tanzanian secondary schools. One of the goals of teaching mathematics in these schools is for learners to acquire mathematical knowledge and skills, which will be useful in their daily lives and future careers. Several studies have shown that visual literacy enables learners to acquire knowledge and skills that are also useful in their lives and future careers. It is a well-known fact that mathematics plays an important role in human endeavours, and life in general. On the one hand, research persistently reports that mathematical concepts are too abstract and complex for learners, which makes it difficult for teachers to teach these concepts effectively. On the other hand, the literature suggests that teaching mathematics for visual literacy could assist learners in understanding mathematical concepts easily, and developing visual literacy skills. Learners could better understand the mathematical concepts being taught and acquire visual literacy skills through the use of both teacher-centred and learner-centred teaching styles and various teaching strategies, including traditional teaching; group work, in particular cooperative learning; discovery; problem-based learning; multimedia instruction; as well as providing an opportunity for learners to interpret visual information and use visual media. Using a case study of three mathematics teachers from three schools, this study examined how Tanzanian secondary school mathematics teachers taught for visual literacy in Form 2 classrooms. The data was collected using classroom observations and interviews. The findings from the collected data have suggested that Tanzanian mathematics teachers do not meet the requirements for teaching mathematics for visual literacy due to various factors, such as the length of the syllabus, lack of pedagogical content knowledge, insufficient technology and dynamic media in schools, teachers' beliefs, National Examinations rules and regulations, and overcrowded classrooms. Recommendations for further studies based on this study have also been made. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

[pt] O desempenho dos alunos brasileiros em matemática é uma questão que aflige há muito a sociedade e a comunidade científica. As políticas públicas têm tentado desenvolver ações que respondam à demanda de melhorar a aprendizagem dos estudantes. Neste contexto, a formação de professores é uma variável importante a ser considerada. A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo apresentar uma análise comparativa das competências desenvolvidas/aprimoradas pelos professores participantes de dois modelos de formação continuada para o ensino da matemática: a especialização oferecida pela Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), que representa o modelo dominante universitário, e a Residência Docente do Colégio Pedro II, representante de uma nova política pública de formação de professores. Os dados foram coletados em duas etapas: na primeira etapa, de natureza quantitativa, os professores responderam a um questionário fechado que identificou dados sócio-históricos e as percepções iniciais de suas competências docentes; e na segunda etapa, de natureza qualitativa, foram realizadas entrevistas com os docentes para possibilitar uma compreensão mais significativa acerca de suas competências docentes relacionadas ao planejamento e gestão do processo ensino-aprendizagem, às competências ético-crítico-reflexivas e ao estabelecimento e manutenção das relações no ambiente escolar. Os resultados diferenças e aproximações entre os dois modelos e destacaram a importância e o desafio de estabelecer uma relação teoria e prática satisfatória durante a formação dos professores; a relevância de um contexto social que possibilite a escolha da profissão por desejo e não pela demanda de profissionalização precoce; a ausência de intervenção dos professores em situações de preconceito entre os alunos; a predominância da demonstração como forma de ensinar os conteúdos da disciplina, entre outros aspectos que demonstram que há uma necessidade urgente de transcender o modelo de formação baseado apenas no ensino dos conteúdos da matemática e no uso de metodologias ativas para que os alunos os aprendam, considerando a importância de desenvolver competências que integrem as relações pessoais e sociais nas aulas de matemática. / [en] The performance of Brazilian students in mathematics is a question that deeply troubles both society and the academic community and public policies have tried to develop actions that respond to a demand for better learning. In this context, teacher education is an important variable to consider. The objective of this research is to present a comparative analysis of the competences developed or improved on by participating teachers in two models of teacher education for mathematics teaching: the postgraduate specialization course offered by the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), which represents the dominant university model, and the teacher residence programme at Colégio Pedro II, representative of a new public policy for continuous teacher education. The data were collected in two stages: in the first stage, teachers responded to a closed questionnaire that identifies socio-historical data and their initial perceptions of their competences; in the second stage, interviews were realized with the teachers in order to develop a greater understanding of the teachers competences in relation to the planning and management of the teaching-learning process, ethicalcritical- reflexive competences, and the establishment and mantenance of relationships in the school environment. The different results and approximations between the two models are analysed, emphasizing the importance and challenge of establishing a satisfactory relationship between theory and practice during teacher education; the relevance of a social context that facilitates the choice of a profession by desire and not by the demand of precocious professionalization; the absence of the intervention of teachers in situations of prejudice between students; the predominance of demonstration as a method for teaching mathematical concepts, amongst other aspects that demonstrate the urgent necessity to transcend the model of teacher education based only on the teaching of mathematical content and to promote active methods in order for the students to learn, considering the importance of developing teacher competences that integrate personal and social relations in mathematics classes.

Improving learner achievement and performance remains a global challenge for many governments, especially in developing countries. Countries spend a sizeable percentage of their national budgets on education with the hope to achieve desired learner outcomes. In South Africa, legislation has made provision for companies to contribute 1% of their net profit towards social development, including education. It is within this background, that the Epoch and Optima Trusts invested significant sums of money to improve the quality of maths results in secondary schools. The study investigates school level activities to ascertain whether and to what extent these may be implicated in improved teaching practices leading to improved performance. We interrogate the assumption commonly stated in the school effectiveness literature that teaching practices in schools are stimulated and facilitated by activities occurring at that school level. The literature is inclined to the view that whatever happens in classrooms is influenced by school level instructional leadership practices, professional development of teachers and the maintenance of internal accountability measures. We preferred to make use of case study research method in order to explore teacher practices in schools because the purpose is to understand behavioural detail and impact mechanisms. A matched pairs sampling technique was used to select four schools from a population of 78 public schools which were continually supported by the Trusts over a period of two years. One pair was classified as former Model C schools (one high performing and one low performing), while the other pair consisted of two former Department of Education and Training schools (one high performing and one low performing). This design reduces the socio-economic and cultural differences between the two schools in each pair. A framework was derived from the literature to guide the collection and analysis of data. The framework commences with the three categories of school level practices, disaggregated into eight specific activities. A set of indicators was then formulated to assess the degree to which each of the specific practices was present in schools. Collective responses of four interviewees at each school were rated and triangulated during this process. Given the nature and the size of the sample, we cannot generalise on the basis of four case studies. However, the value of this report is that we have developed:  a scheme for describing and analysing school-level practices that may facilitate and optimise teaching and learning, and  a set of hypotheses for accounting for improved school performance. In conclusion, we inferred that schools that institutionalised some practices and systems as identified were able to increase and maintain the number of quality passes in mathematics and as such, meeting the objectives of the donors. The factors which appear to hold the most potential for optimising performance in the two high SES former Model C schools are collegial practices on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. In the two low SES former DET schools performance advantage seems to be enhanced by the systematic use of assessment data and by an increased sense of intrinsic motivation on the part of teachers.

This study explores the experiences of science and mathematics teachers during the Triple Pandemic: a pandemic of COVID-19, poverty, and racism. The intersection of COVID-19, poverty, and racism created a novel educational context for teachers to navigate. Using an intersectional qualitative case study approach, this study highlights the stories of three middle school science and mathematics teachers as they strove to meet the needs of their students during a time of crisis brought forth by COVID-19 and as pre-existing systemic inequities surfaced during the period of remote learning. Using data collected from an initial and final questionnaire (Likert scale and open-ended), semi-structured interviews, audio journal entries, and a focus group this study sought to capture the teachers’ experiences, their emotions, adjustments to teaching practice, and challenges encountered. Guided by a conceptual framework integrating Sensemaking Theory, Critical Consciousness, Positional Identity, and Science Identity as a Lived Experience, this study further examined the ways teaching remotely developed, shifted, and affirmed their science and mathematics identities and the impact of sensemaking of their experiences had on their educational priorities. The findings highlight the participants' emotionally charged and challenging experiences as they made sense of their roles as science and mathematics teachers and gained an increasing awareness of systemic inequities. The three participants developed a critical consciousness through their confrontation of inequities, increased racial identity, and development of their critical agency. Additionally, the participants’ sensemaking of the educational context produced by the Triple Pandemic resulted in the development of new educational priorities reflecting social justice engagement on micro and meso levels and in identity tensions as science and mathematics teachers.

Task-based instruction has been a promising method of instruction advocated by mathematics education researchers over the past twenty years. However traditional curricula constitute a majority of the curricula utilized in the United States. The purpose of this study is to identify the problems reform oriented novice teachers face when utilizing a traditional curriculum to plan task-based lessons. In order to identify these problems three novice teachers' interactions with curricula were observed and characterized using the frameworks of past researchers. Through analysis of teachers' textbook interaction practices it was found that teachers struggled to plan task-based lessons due to issues encountered finding/constructing mathematical tasks, and due to problems associated with being naturally oriented toward procedures while utilizing a traditional curriculum.

The tasks with which students engage in their mathematics courses determine, for a large part, what students learn. Therefore, it is essential that teachers are able to design tasks that are worthwhile for developing mathematical understanding. Since practicing teachers seldom incorporate worthwhile mathematical tasks in their lessons, we would expect that they did not become proficient at designing worthwhile tasks while in their teacher education programs. This thesis describes a study that investigated what preservice secondary teachers attend to as they attempt to design worthwhile mathematical tasks. Three participants were selected from a course at a large private university where preservice teachers are taught and practice the skill of task design. This "Task Design" course was observed, and the three participants were interviewed to determine what they attend to while designing tasks. There were seven main characteristics that the main participants in the study attended to the most often and thought were the most important: sound and significant mathematics, reasoning, appropriateness, clarity, communication, engagement, and openness. How the participants attended to these characteristics is described. Some implications for teacher education, such as requiring preservice teachers to explain how their tasks embody certain characteristics, are given based on the results.

Research in mathematics education shows that new mathematics teachers struggle to implement reform teaching practices that they learned in their teacher preparation programs. In this study, the researcher observed and interviewed three new mathematics teachers (within five years of graduation) to further explore the question of why new teachers use or do not use what they learned in their teacher preparation program. The study uses an expanded version of Schoenfeld's decision-making theory of Orientations, Goals, and Resources. This theory proved useful in the analysis of the research data, providing a framework to incorporate and organize the numerous reasons suggested by the literature for why new teachers struggle to use what they learned in their teacher preparation programs. Results show that an orientation that reform teaching is the most effective way to teach mathematics, along with the resources of a reform curriculum, a team of teachers with similar reform orientations, and district support are all important factors in helping new teachers use what they learned in their teacher preparation program.

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This research is a descriptive, correlational study investigating mathematics teachers' perceptions of their self-efficacy and the effects of teacher characteristics and supervisory behaviors on teachers' self-efficacy. Teachers who teach mathematics from an urban school district in the southern part of the United States were asked to report on their self-efficacy in teaching mathematics and their perception of the supervisory behaviors that support the development of their self-efficacy. The study sought to determine the relationship between teachers of mathematics self-efficacy and the characteristics and supervisory behaviors that foster the development of their self-efficacy. Gender, ethnicity, years of mathematics teaching, level of education, and years at current school are used as control variables. The study findings suggest instructional leaders need to use a variety of strategies to enhance teacher efficacy. Strategies that were reported to be particularly useful included those that foster teacher collaboration, autonomy, and empowerment. Ensuring appropriate systems, services, and support for teacher collaboration should be a priority for those in leadership positions. An important practical implication emerging from this research is the need for feedback. It is expected that the results of this research may benefit educational supervisors when they consider which type of supervision and supportive actions to adopt to foster the development of mathematics self-efficacy in their teachers. / Doctor of Education / This research is designed to investigate mathematics teachers' perceptions of their self-efficacy and the effects of teacher characteristics and supervisory behaviors on teachers’ self-efficacy. The study is threefold: (a) to explore the self-efficacy of teachers who teach mathematics, (b) to identify teacher characteristics and supervisory behaviors that teachers perceived affect teacher self-efficacy, and (c) to determine whether there is a relationship between the mathematics supervisory behaviors and teacher self-efficacy as seen by the teachers, while controlling for gender, ethnicity, years of mathematics teaching, level of education, and years at current school. Teachers who teach mathematics from an urban school district in the southern part of the United States were asked to report on their self-efficacy in teaching mathematics and their perception of the supervisory behaviors that support the development of their self-efficacy. The study findings suggest instructional leaders need to use a variety of strategies to enhance teacher efficacy. Strategies that were reported to be particularly useful included those that foster teacher collaboration, autonomy, and empowerment. Ensuring appropriate systems, services, and support for teacher collaboration should be a priority for those in leadership positions. An important practical implication emerging from this research is the need for feedback. It is expected that the results of this research may benefit educational supervisors when they consider which type of supervision and supportive actions to adopt to foster the development of mathematics self-efficacy in their teachers. Keywords: Self-efficacy, Supervisory behaviors, Mathematics Teachers, Perceptions of Self-efficacy, Teacher Characteristics