Mathematics is permeated with language; it appears in the form of new words and
some old words with new meanings. There are new symbols to be able to read and
consume; much information is presented in tabular or graphic form, and finally the
language in a mathematics class has its own semantics, syntax and traditions of
argumentation and expression. It is this language, used in the mathematics classroom,
which students must absorb and develop fluency with--all while learning the
mathematics expressed by this language. Traditionally, the language of mathematics has
been overlooked in the classroom, as if students could learn it by just being exposed,
rather than having explicit instruction. Numerous professional organizations have called
for a focus on language in mathematics education, yet it appears that this important topic
is overlooked in the classroom. This research project concentrated on developing a
working definition of the language of mathematics and then, speculating that the reason
teachers avoid teaching the language of mathematics, it developed the Language of
Mathematics Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (LoMTES), a measurement instrument to
measure teacher perceived self-efficacy regarding the teaching of the language of
mathematics. Bandura's socio-cognitive theory was the guiding force in developing
this instrument. Bandura indicates that self-efficacy is predictive--that teachers with high
perceived self-efficacy on a topic are generally capable of teaching it, while teachers with
low perceived self-efficacy on a topic tend to skip over the topic or teach it in a minimal
way. Self-efficacy, however, is a changeable construct; thus, this instrument could be
used to identify teachers with low perceived self-efficacy regarding the teaching of the
language of mathematics, which would enable the mathematics education community to
explore possible interventions designed to improve student learning by improving teacher
perceived self-efficacy. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/31694 |
| Date | 28 April 2004 |
| Creators | Gray, Virginia |
| Contributors | Enochs, Larry G. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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