Mathematics teachers at the intersection of policy interventions: What practising teachers offer as challenges in teaching trigonometry

Abstract

The South African schooling system is one of the areas where policymakers consider transformations to be important. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (Department of Basic Education (DBE) 2012) was introduced to improve teaching and learning in mathematics. In addition, the DBE commissioned a higher education institution to provide an advanced certificate in education (ACE) programme for practising further education and training (FET) band mathematics teachers. Registered teachers attending these modules are at the intersection of two different DBE intervention pathways – curriculum and reskilling. It is critical to take note of what these mathematics teachers consider to be challenges. Before data collection commenced, the teachers engaged in alternative instructional activities to extend their pedagogical content knowledge for Grade 10 trigonometry. Their tutor asked them to reflect on the challenges that they would anticipate if they changed their trigonometry teaching methods to adopt the alternative approaches. To understand their reflections better, this research in mathematics education was informed by two theoretical and conceptual frameworks: reflective theory and a translation model. The three themes that emerged from the inductive analysis of teacher reflections were ‘curriculum considerations’ (where language issues were highlighted), ‘classroom context influences’ and ‘learner attitudes’.

Keywords:

• Advanced certificates in education
• mathematics education
• South African mathematics school curricula
• trigonometry