USE OF MATERIALS IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS

Abstract

My experience of understanding of some geometric ideas was not good when I was a student. But, I was motivated to learn geometry in grade nine when the teacher taught me using bamboo branches. This led me to make students understand surface area of some solids using the same techniques. This background encouraged me to do this research. This study therefore aimed to know 2 Ps i.e. perception and practice of secondary level mathematics teachers on materials in their instruction. I adopted interpretivism as a research paradigm and ethnography as a research method to conduct the study. I purposively selected six participants from three districts of Kathmandu Valley. I used interview and observation techniques to collect data. I used both semi structured and unstructured questions in the interview as Best and Khan (2007) state that the purpose of open ended interview is to find out what is in or on someone else’s mind not to put things in someone’s mind (p. 225). Regarding the perception, in the study, I found mathematics teachers perceived mathematics as 1.a tool which helps students to understand abstract mathematical ideas/concepts/relations. 2. a tool of motivating students towards learning and 3. a tool to instruct students in an interesting way. In the study I found ii that teachers prepare materials they use by themselves or supervise students to prepare it and they also buy some materials from the market. They use materials in the beginning of the chapter to develop concepts about the related chapter and sometimes they use during problem solving to solve problem linking with the material. Teachers demonstrate the materials and instruct activities to explore mathematical ideas and to establish mathematical formula.