Making connections in the Mathematics classroom : a teacher’s perspective

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to evaluate and explore different tools and skills in teaching through a Connectionist approach. The research is based on one of the three orientations for Mathematics teaching, namely the ‘Discovery’, ‘Transmission’ and ‘Connectionist’ orientations. The orientations emerged from the Effective Teaching of Numeracy project in King’s College, London, in 1997, under the direction of Mike Askew and his colleagues. Teachers who were mostly Connectionist oriented were found to be the most effective. The main idea behind the Connectionist approach is that Mathematics should not be taught as segments of unrelated topics but rather as a body of interconnected areas. The purpose of this research is to acquire the skills needed by a Mathematics teacher to carry out Connectionist teaching. Particular interest was in the effectiveness of connecting ideas in Mathematics as a medium for better understanding of concepts. In this study, the Connectionist approach was applied to the teaching and learning of Algebra at Form 4 Secondary level. Two tasks were presented to the students where they were allowed to discuss and work in groups, followed by a final class discussion at the end of each activity. The study offered a great challenge in engaging the pupils to participate and collaborate since they were not familiar with this type of learning approach. In spite of the difficulties, the majority of the students succeeded in connecting mathematical ideas through discussion and interaction with the researcher.