Abstract:

The paper presents the author’s pedagogy model “Dynamic Classroom” and its implementation in teaching and learning mathematics at Primary school in Bulgaria. The Dynamic Classroom model is based on the competency approach in pedagogy and on teaching and learning in rich of technologies environment. The model requires a dynamic change of methods and forms of work in the classroom. Teachers must have access to rich resources of interactive digital content on one side, and to team tasks, project-work resources, games and other resources, from the other. Teachers must have knowledge of variety of methods and actively to use them in their practice. For example, one lesson can combine frontal work, individual work of students and work on a short team task or case study. The effective learning process is closely related to the level of activity of the individual student. The more active the students are, the more effective the respective learning process is.

The focus of the research is the process of teaching and learning math at primary school. The main aim is students to discover the power and the beauty of math and to fully understand the content of the curriculum so that they can apply it in their lives. Examples of the developed content related to the basic arithmetic operations studied in primary school – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are presented. Web-based platform is developed that offers interactive content on all topics of the math curriculum in primary school, divided into levels.

The model provides a combination of е-content and work on tasks that do not require the use of a digital device. Some off-screen, hands-on activities are presented. The tasks are interesting, diverse and develop both the thinking of children and their personal competencies – teamwork skills, tolerant behavior, mutual assistance, skills to present their work and more. Students work in teams solving interesting tasks, creating final product, and presenting it. The methodology for working on team tasks in primary school age is presented, which observes the following basic principles: solving the team task leads to the creation of а final product; each member of the team has his own task, the solution of which is part of the overall end product; the final product is presented to the class / audience. Examples from the developed system of team tasks are presented.

The Dynamic Classroom model is implemented in 32 schools in Burgas municipality, Bulgaria. Monitoring of 90 lessons of Primary school teachers (45 in 1st grade and 45 in 2nd grade) was done. A content analysis of the conducted lessons is presented. The data on used methods and forms of work, the integration of technologies in the learning process, the used team tasks and the application of a game-based approach are summarized.

Keywords:

Dynamic classroom, Primary school, Mathematics, teamworking, e-content, competency approach.