Enhancing Mathematical Language through Oral Questioning in Primary Schools

Abstract

Fluency in mathematical language is essential in helping students to master mathematics content. This qualitative case study was conducted to describe how mathematics teachers apply mathematical language to students in the oral questioning process. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and field notes. Six mathematics teachers from six different primary schools were selected as participants of the study using a purposive sampling method. The data were then analyzed using a constant comparative method to identify the patterns and themes that emerged from the data obtained. The study found that students were questioned by emphasizing the correct pronunciation and were asked mathematical terms and keywords to improve their mathematical language ability through oral questions. To enhance mathematical language, the teacher also restated terms in the teachers' own words, asking using verbal-cloze questions, asking questions about mathematical terms repeatedly and using seeking-clarification questions. Thus, the use of various approaches in oral questioning had helped students to improve their fluency of mathematical language and enabled them to understand mathematical concepts better. Therefore, teachers need to understand the role played by oral questioning in the teaching of mathematical language to students.

Teacher Questioning in Mathematics Teaching: Feedback that Stimulates Productive Teaching

“…It has been found relevant to be implement in low-achieving classrooms to ensure ongoing involvement and interaction from thestudents. Not only that butimplementing this form of feedback also allows the teachers to ask questions according to the level of ability of the students as recommended by the (Mahmud et al 2020). Easier question feedback is also referred to as the advanced tolerance teaching approach.…”

Implementation of Oral Questioning in Assessing Student Learning In Mathematics Teaching In Primary Schools

“…In addition, the use of high-level oral questioning was found to supply more information about the knowledge and skills that students had gained compared to low-level questioning, which only provided less information about the knowledge and skills that students had achieved (Mahmud, 2020). By understanding the level of experience, skills, and values that students have mastered, teachers will plan and decide whether student learning can be continued to the next unit or not (Mahmud et al, 2020a). Also, all the information that has been collected, recorded andanalysed by teachers as a result of the implementation of formative assessment helps teachers to plan teaching activities according to the developmental needs and existing knowledge of students.…”

“…The feedback given by teachers has an impact on improving student learning and is holistic (Desli & Galanopoulou, 2017) Oral questioning as a technique in implementing formative assessment or assessment for learning should provide space for students to be actively involved in the teaching and learning process carried out (Boulter, 2010) other than one way of imparting knowledge and lesson content to its students (Zakaria & Addenan, 2015). However, a few teachers are still weak in applying questioning techniques in their teaching activities, where they focus more on one-way teaching methods by using the method of 'chalk and talk (Mahmud et al, 2020a). This has indirectly caused the teaching and learning process to occur only in one way, and students do not have the space to be actively involved in teaching activities carried out.…”

Do students like us because we teach well? The popularity of high school mathematics teachers

“…The dimension of relevance of tasks in this study has two strands (Appendix). That is, tasks which facilitate remembering and recalling (Mahmud et al, 2020), and tasks which elicit the relevance of mathematics to students (Neubrand et al, 2013). To achieve the former strand, the teacher provides enough examples and helpful reminders, enough repetitions, and a whole-class discussion on relevant steps of solving tasks.…”

“…Accordingly, students’ grasp of mathematical concepts and methods, their development of sophisticated conceptual networks, and eventually their perception of mathematics can all be influenced by teachers who are aware of the possibilities of tasks and orchestrate them effectively (Neubrand et al, 2013). Similarly, Mahmud et al (2020) intimated that when students are taught to recall a mathematical concept they have previously mastered, they can increase their mastery of and proficiency for the mathematical language. It is therefore important for a quality mathematics instruction to consider the relevance of mathematical tasks during instruction such that the solution procedures can be recalled for future use.…”