Forms and meanings of integration : a case study on mathematics and economic management science (EMS) in grade 7.

Abstract

This study explored how mathematics teachers integrate mathematics with other learning areas and specifically Economic Management Science (EMS). I explored the understanding of teachers on the topic of integration and how they integrated mathematics concepts with selected EMS concepts from the South African curriculum for grade 7 learners. The concepts selected in this study were: Salary, Interest, Graph, Ratio, Product and Expand. These concepts have both a mathematics and EMS dimension, and therefore potentially connected to both disciplines of mathematics and EMS. In the implementation of the study the teachers were asked to draw concept maps involving these concepts. Subsequently, I interviewed the teachers to document their experience of integrating these concepts in their teaching and planning for teaching of mathematics and EMS. The analyses of the data collected demonstrated that integrated concepts can enhance or hinder learning in and across the two learning areas. The teachers integrated concepts unintentional and tacit. In addition teachers were more focused on integrating concepts belonging to a specified learning area and reflected on teaching and learning from a single domain. However in theory they argued for integration in and across the two learning areas. Therefore while two teachers aimed to integrate learning areas in theory, they were faced with different challenges in practice