A Study of Student’s Mathematical Communication in Teacher Professional Development

Maitree Inprasitha, Auijit Pattanajak, Narumol Inprasitha
(Center for Research in Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University, Thailand)

Abstract: This case study was conducted by qualitative research design consisting ethnographic approach, teaching experiment, protocol analysis and analytic description. The objective of the study was to analyze cognitive aspect and emotional aspect in students’ mathematical communication in teacher professional development innovates by lesson study and open approach. The targeted group was 23 first graders at Ban Bungniambungkrinoon School, Khon Kaen Province. Three Problem situations; school bus problem (6+3+4), playing sand in playground (7+5-8) and eating apples(13-4-2) was used as learning activity in this teaching experiment. The data from classroom teaching episodes was analyzed by protocol analysis according to characteristics of mathematical communication as an cognitive aspect proposed by Emori (2005), then analyzed emotional experience as an emotional aspect proposed by Inprasitha (2001). Research findings revealed that mathematics classroom taught by open approach through 4 steps; posing open-ended problem situation, student’s self learning, whole class discussion and summary through connection; three characteristics of mathematical communication in view of cognitive aspect found in classroom were rigorousness, economy and freedom. Moreover, in view of emotional aspect we found that student have emotional experience in every step of teaching. Emotional experience that often occurred were self confidence, excitement and enjoyment, introspectiveness, paying attention, accepting other ideas, awaiting answers and amazing respectively. From the findings of this research, not only the cognitive aspect could be evaluating mathematical communication in classroom, but also emotional aspect can help teacher to understand students’ mathematical concept and develop them.

Key words: mathematical communication, cognitive aspect, emotional aspects, open approach and lesson study