Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)

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Browsing Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters) by Author "Essien, Anthony A."

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    Variation in Teachers’ Choice and Use of Examples within a Mathematics Department: Affordances in The Introduction of Functions
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-10) McLachlan, Kathryn Anne; Essien, Anthony A.
    In mathematics classrooms, the examples that teachers choose and use impact the affordances for learning that are offered to their students. This study investigates to what extent such affordances for learning might differ within different teachers’ classes within one mathematics department at a school in Johannesburg. In the department that was analysed, teachers have the agency to choose their own examples and to structure the teaching of mathematical topics themselves. In a case study design, three teachers from this department were observed teaching their two introductory lessons on Grade 10 functions. All of the examples used in their lessons were extracted and analysed using variation theory. The examples were first analysed in and of themselves, and then with the teachers’ mediation. The teachers were also interviewed to provide insight into their intended object of learning for the lessons. Of interest in the analysis was how the multiple representations of functions were integrated in the lessons. The analysis indicates that the affordances for learning across the three classes differed substantially, both regarding the sequencing of objects of learning within the topic of functions, and in the aspects and features that were opened up for discernment. These findings raise questions regarding how much agency teachers within one department should have in structuring the teaching of objects of learning and in selecting examples to use in their lessons.