Abstract:

Facilitating conceptual understanding when teaching mathematics is important due to its abstract nature which poses challenges to learners’ academic achievement. Hence, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) through the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for mathematics calls for teachers to prioritize conceptual understanding when teaching various topics in grades 10-12. As such, this study explored how the mathematics teachers facilitated the teaching and learning of the negative angles of trigonometry for conceptual understanding. This study was framed by the principles of dialogic teaching as conceptual lens/framework to understand the problem and analyse data.

Using a mixed method approach, based on an explanatory sequential design, 60 Grade 11 Mathematics teachers were selected for the study to generate primary data through survey questionnaire, lesson observation, and semi-structured interviews. For quantitative data, sixty (60) Grade 11 mathematics teachers were conveniently selected from different high schools in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to complete the online survey. Another two teachers were purposely selected to take part in lesson observation and semi-structured interviews. In interpreting data that was collected, the researcher applied both inductive and deductive approaches to data analysis. SPSS version 22 was employed to analyse quantitative data and thematic data analysis methods were employed for analysing qualitative data generated from lesson observation and interviews.

From analysing the transcripts of classroom lesson observation using the dialogical teaching as theoretical lens, the study found limited evidence that both teachers attempted to use the classroom talk to build the learning of trigonometry in a cumulative way. In addition, classroom overcrowding and inadequate time emerged as significant factors that affected both teaching of trigonometry. The above findings provide an implication for how dialogical teaching can be assessed within secondary school education. Future large-scale studies may provide insights into the extent of these findings, should the results be confirmed, a substantial investment in both the pre-service and in-service teachers training and workshop programs may be required to emphasize the effectiveness of dialogic pedagogy in enhancing conceptual understanding, specifically within the trigonometry domain.

Keywords:

Mathematics, pedagogy, trigonometry, dialogic teaching, negative angles.