Teacher–student Interpersonal Behavior in Secondary Mathematics Classes in Indonesia

Abstract

This study is aimed at describing profiles of interpersonal behavior of Indonesian mathematics teachers and examining associations between students' perceptions of their mathematics teachers' interpersonal behavior and their motivation in learning mathematics. Data were collected with the Indonesian version of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and the Questionnaire on Motivational Dimensions. The framework of this study is based on the Model of Interpersonal Behavior that maps teachers' conduct in terms of 2 dimensions: Influence (Dominance-Submission) and Proximity (Cooperation-Opposition). A total of 506 students (grades 7 to 9) from 16 classes in 5 public secondary schools in the West Java and Jambi provinces, Indonesia, participated in the study. Data analyses were conducted including descriptive, correlational, and multilevel analyses. Results from the data analyses showed that the reliability and (validity) of the Indonesian QTI were good; teachers' ratings of their interpersonal behavior were moderate in class perceptions but (were) quite high in teachers' self-perception in both the Proximity and Influence dimensions and that associations existed between the 2 dimensions of interpersonal behavior and student motivation in learning mathematics. There was an indication that Indonesian mathematics teachers were generally perceived as directive. Implications of the findings were discussed.

Teachers’ teaching practices and beliefs regarding context-based tasks and their relation with students’ difficulties in solving these tasks

“…Our finding about teachers' preference for the directive teaching approach is in line with results from other studies which also examined teaching practices in mathematics classrooms in Indonesia (see, e.g., Human Development Department East Asia and Pacific Region 2010; Maulana et al 2012). These studies revealed that Indonesian mathematics teachers tended to take a directive role in which they mostly explain while students write, listen, and answer closed questions.…”

“…These studies revealed that Indonesian mathematics teachers tended to take a directive role in which they mostly explain while students write, listen, and answer closed questions. Maulana et al (2012) argued that such directive practices might be caused by a cultural aspect of Indonesian society that considers the teacher profession as highly respected, so the teacher is considered as the source of knowledge, whereas students are the recipients.…”

Opportunity-to-Learn to Solve Context-based Mathematics Tasks and Students’ Performance in Solving these Tasks – Lessons from Indonesia

“…In this respect, the teachers did not implement the intervention fully as intended. Instead of consultative teaching their teaching clearly showed directive characteristics, which, as is shown by other studies (Maulana, Opdenakker, Den Brok, & Bosker, 2012;World Bank, 2010), is the main way of teaching in Indonesia. Because of this tradition the teachers involved in our study may have had a lack of experience with metacognitive instruction and therefore, as is also emphasized by Kramarski et al (2002), had difficulties in using consultative teaching.…”

A Intervenção do Professor em um Ambiente de Modelagem Matemática e a Regulação da Produção Discursiva dos Alunos

“…Muitas pesquisas têm abordado o papel do professor nas ações dos alunos (ASSIS; TEIXEIRA, 2007;FREUND, 2008;MAULANA et al, 2011), contudo, tais estudos não têm focalizado sobre como as ações dos estudantes, em determinado ambiente de aprendizagem, podem ser decorrentes do como o professor intervém nele. Maulana et al (2011) sublinham que a prática do professor em sala de aula pode variar, e tais variações podem levar a mudanças também nas ações dos estudantes.…”

“…Maulana et al (2011) sublinham que a prática do professor em sala de aula pode variar, e tais variações podem levar a mudanças também nas ações dos estudantes. Convergente com esse resultado, Freund (2008) mostra que, mesmo nos casos em que os professores buscam envolver os alunos em processos de investigações, também sinalizam quais são as ações legítimas no ambiente de aprendizagem.…”