An Investigation of Pre-service Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Discussion Skills in the Context of Microteaching Lesson Study

Year 2019, Volume: 13, 37 - 43, 31.08.2019

Nadide Yılmaz İ. Elif Yetkın-ozdemır

Abstract

High quality discussions can enable students to understand complex
mathematical concepts (Smith & Stein, 2011). Effective mathematics
discussions occur when teachers engage the listening, thinking, inquiring, and
applying skills of their students (Lobato, Clark & Ellis, 2005; NCTM,
1991). Studies show, however, that teachers face many challenges in
orchestrating mathematics discussions (Stein, Engle, Smith & Hughes, 2008).  Novice teachers, in particular, struggle to
coach their students through the discussion process (Chazen, 2000; Wood &
Turner-Vorbeck, 2001). Therefore, the study found that orchestrating
mathematics discussions is a skill that pre-service teachers should be
encouraged to develop. The aim of this study was to develop pre-service middle
school mathematics teachers’ mathematical discussion skills in the context of
microteaching lesson study. Three senior pre-service teachers participated in
and implemented three microteaching lesson study cycles. Data was obtained from
lesson plans prepared by pre-service teachers, video recordings, observations,
and field notes. Data was examined based on Smith and Stein’s (2011) method of
orchestrating productive mathematical discussions via anticipating, monitoring,
selecting, sequencing, and connecting. Results showed that as microteaching
lesson study proceed, pre-service teachers acquired skills about anticipate
student thinking and select students’ purposeful answers. In addition to that,
pre-service teachers began successfully sequencing student thoughts and
connecting important points related to big ideas.

Keywords

Discussion skills, Lesson study, Pre-service teachers

References

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