Promoting Critical Thinking in Multilingual Mathematics Classes through Questioning

Clemence Chikiwa; Marc Schäfer

doi:10.29333/ejmste/91832

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Clemence Chikiwa ¹ ^* , Marc Schäfer ²

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¹ Rhodes University, Professional Development Centre, Grahamstown, SOUTH AFRICA² Rhodes University Education Department, Grahamstown, SOUTH AFRICA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study explores how teacher questioning was used to foster critical thinking in selected Grade 11 multilingual mathematics classes in the Eastern Cape Province. A mixed-method design was used to collect and analyse both qualitative and quantitative data through classroom observations and interviews of three purposively selected Grade 11 mathematics teachers during their teaching of trigonometry and analytical geometry. The study was guided by Bloom’s revised taxonomy. The study found that teachers in these multilingual classes used lower-order levels of questioning during teaching. Higher-order questions, which research has shown have the potential of promoting critical thinking, were infrequently used during teaching. The paper concludes that, while all the categories of Bloom’s taxonomy are important, the ones that are crucial in promoting critical and higher-order thinking required at Grade 11 were not adequately used. Suggestions for improving questioning in mathematics teaching are explored.

Keywords

code-switching
critical thinking
multilingual
questioning

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2018, Volume 14, Issue 8, Article No: em1562

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/91832

Publication date: 01 Jun 2018

Article Views: 4175

Article Downloads: 3391

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How to cite this article

APA

Chikiwa, C., & Schäfer, M. (2018). Promoting Critical Thinking in Multilingual Mathematics Classes through Questioning. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(8), em1562. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/91832

Vancouver

Chikiwa C, Schäfer M. Promoting Critical Thinking in Multilingual Mathematics Classes through Questioning. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(8):em1562. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/91832

AMA

Chikiwa C, Schäfer M. Promoting Critical Thinking in Multilingual Mathematics Classes through Questioning. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(8), em1562. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/91832

Chicago

Chikiwa, Clemence, and Marc Schäfer. "Promoting Critical Thinking in Multilingual Mathematics Classes through Questioning". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2018 14 no. 8 (2018): em1562. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/91832

Harvard

Chikiwa, C., and Schäfer, M. (2018). Promoting Critical Thinking in Multilingual Mathematics Classes through Questioning. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(8), em1562. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/91832

MLA

Chikiwa, Clemence et al. "Promoting Critical Thinking in Multilingual Mathematics Classes through Questioning". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 14, no. 8, 2018, em1562. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/91832