Teachers’ Perspectives on Addressing Linguistic Factors Affecting Visualisation of Mathematics Word Problems

Matshidiso Mirriam Moleko

doi:10.29333/ejmste/11248

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Matshidiso Mirriam Moleko ¹ ^*

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¹ University of the Free State, SOUTH AFRICA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Visualisation plays a critical role in the teaching and learning of mathematics word problems. It is an essential tool for enabling learners to create meaningful mental pictures necessary for solving mathematical problems. Appropriate visualisation requires good reading skills, English proficiency and an understanding of mathematical vocabulary, language and structure. Although visualisation plays such a critical role, teachers often do not pay attention to linguistic factors when teaching mathematics word problems, thus making it difficult for learners to visualise and solve mathematics word problems. This background positions the study to explore teachers’ perspectives on the linguistic factors that affect the visualisation of mathematics word problems and to identify appropriate solutions to these. Using a single-case exploratory study, the perspectives of six mathematics teachers were elicited through focus group discussions and reflection sessions. The data collected were analysed through thematic analysis techniques. The findings indicate strategies to address the lack of reading skills, including understanding mathematical language and the structure and ambiguities of mathematics word problems.

Keywords

critical emancipatory research
linguistic factors
mathematics word problems
visualisation

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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, 2021, Volume 17, Issue 11, Article No: em2029

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11248

Publication date: 05 Oct 2021

Article Views: 2094

Article Downloads: 1552

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Declaration of Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest is declared by author(s).

Data sharing statement: Data supporting the findings and conclusions are available upon request from the corresponding author(s).

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How to cite this article

APA

Moleko, M. M. (2021). Teachers’ Perspectives on Addressing Linguistic Factors Affecting Visualisation of Mathematics Word Problems. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(11), em2029. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11248

Vancouver

Moleko MM. Teachers’ Perspectives on Addressing Linguistic Factors Affecting Visualisation of Mathematics Word Problems. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2021;17(11):em2029. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11248

AMA

Moleko MM. Teachers’ Perspectives on Addressing Linguistic Factors Affecting Visualisation of Mathematics Word Problems. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2021;17(11), em2029. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11248

Chicago

Moleko, Matshidiso Mirriam. "Teachers’ Perspectives on Addressing Linguistic Factors Affecting Visualisation of Mathematics Word Problems". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2021 17 no. 11 (2021): em2029. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11248

Harvard

Moleko, M. M. (2021). Teachers’ Perspectives on Addressing Linguistic Factors Affecting Visualisation of Mathematics Word Problems. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(11), em2029. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11248

MLA

Moleko, Matshidiso Mirriam "Teachers’ Perspectives on Addressing Linguistic Factors Affecting Visualisation of Mathematics Word Problems". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 17, no. 11, 2021, em2029. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11248