Att bryta tystnaden: kommunikation i matematikklassrummet

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers approach communication in their mathematics instruction. The communication involves concepts such as teachers' mathematical language, incorrect answers, and various interaction patterns. In line with this, the study also examines how these types of communication may affect students in the classroom. Furthermore, observations and interviews were conducted with five different teachers in Sweden using an observation scheme and an interview guide. The results reveal that four out of the five teachers use both child-directed and adult-directed language when addressing students at different levels of mathematical understanding. These adaptations may involve the use of simpler terms or providing examples from previously completed tasks. Two of the remaining five teachers highlight the issue of time constraints and the lack of time to address incorrect answers. However, like the other teachers, they stress the potential for deeper understanding that may be lost if incorrect answers are not used as a resource in the classroom. Various interaction patterns were also observed in all lessons. These patterns that were observed can be interpreted as communicatively ineffective, as IRE patterns (Initiation, Response, Evaluation) only provide a quick confirmation of whether the answer was correct or incorrect. This contrasts with IRF patterns (Initiation, Response, Feedback), which follows up on the student's response and integrates it into the instruction. Finally, the results are discussed in connection with previous research, highlighting how teachers tend to speak to students rather than with them. It is also noted that students who give incorrect answers may be reluctant to participate again. Furthermore, the teachers' instruction can be discussed in terms of their actual use of the techniques, as they do not always implement the strategies they emphasize, such as the use of integrating incorrect answers during their lessons.