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A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Le Roux, Jean-Pierre
Other Authors: Lampen, Erna
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2020
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access_status_str Open Access
author Le Roux, Jean-Pierre
author2 Lampen, Erna
author_browse Lampen, Erna
Le Roux, Jean-Pierre
author_facet Lampen, Erna
Le Roux, Jean-Pierre
author_sort Le Roux, Jean-Pierre
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/107848
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:46:20.037Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2020
publishDateRange 2020
publishDateSort 2020
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/107848 A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency Le Roux, Jean-Pierre Lampen, Erna Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Curriculum Studies. Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Mathematics -- Assessment -- Evaluation High school teachers Mathematics teachers -- Training of UCTD Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Much emphasis has been placed on the role that assessment plays in the relationship between teaching and learning. Current thinking about mathematics teaching and learning encourages teachers to integrate a range of teaching and assessment practices that are receptive to their students’ thinking and which promote learning. Reforms in mathematics education, including the Mathematics Teaching and Learning Framework for South Africa (DBE, 2018), have called on teachers to adapt their classroom-based assessment practices towards promoting a learning-centred classroom. The research findings of this study on how teachers can incorporate new ideas into their classroom-based assessments, and by designing classroombased assessments towards mathematical proficiency, are especially relevant considering that the Mathematics Teaching and Learning Framework (DBE, 2018) draws on Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell’s (2001) five strands of mathematical proficiency to bring about the transformation of mathematics in South Africa. This in-depth study aims to respond to calls that have been made to understand the complexities that mathematics teachers face when they are expected to bring new ideas to the learning environment they create, including their assessment practices. In this study, five mathematics teachers from two secondary schools formed a case study to understand better how teachers can redesign their classroom-based assessments to promote mathematical proficiency for a professional development agenda. The three main concepts of the theoretical framework, which are adapted from Belbase (2012) are: (1) teachers’ beliefs; (2) teachers’ assessment practices of mathematical proficiency; and (3) teachers’ knowledge of mathematical proficiency. In this study I interpreted the relationship between teaching, learning, and assessment from the perspective of developing teachers’ assessment as a network, and my intervention was located on the edge between teachers’ knowledge and assessment practices. I engaged the participant teachers on the construct of mathematical proficiency (Kilpatrick et al.,2001) and asked them to adapt their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency. The data, which was gathered from semi-structured group and individual interviews, classroom-observations, and artefact collection, found that mathematics teachers’ conceptions of assessment were compelling. Four key aspects (purpose and function of assessment; the perceived curriculum; expectations of students; and school context) shape teachers’ conceptions of assessment, which results in the teachers having either societal conceptions of assessment or pedagogical conceptions of assessment. The teachers’ conceptions of assessment were the strongest indication of whether the teachers aligned to an assessment culture or a testing culture of assessment. The study found that teachers’ pedagogical conceptions of assessment which promotes pedagogy are essential to foster a learning-centred classroom. The study provides an argument about the implications of the research findings for professional practice by discussing four key principles of adapting classroom-based assessment to promote a learning-centred classroom. This study has found that classroom-based assessment drives the teaching and learning which takes place in the mathematics classroom. The research study also makes two theoretical contributions. The first pertains to the distinction between mathematics teachers’ beliefs and their conceptions. The second concerns the effect and influence of teachers’ beliefs on the teachers’ adaption of their classroom-based assessments towards mathematical proficiency by linking the relationships between knowledge and assessment with beliefs, and by expanding on the implications of the research to achieve optimal teacher change. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2020-02-12T10:48:45Z 2020-04-28T12:05:59Z 2020-02-12T10:48:45Z 2020-04-28T12:05:59Z 2020-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/107848 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xiv, 268 pages ; illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary)
Mathematics -- Assessment -- Evaluation
High school teachers
Mathematics teachers -- Training of
UCTD
Le Roux, Jean-Pierre
A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency
title A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency
title_full A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency
title_fullStr A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency
title_full_unstemmed A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency
title_short A case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom-based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency
title_sort case study of secondary school mathematics teachers evaluating their classroom based assessments for the purpose of teaching for mathematical proficiency
topic Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary)
Mathematics -- Assessment -- Evaluation
High school teachers
Mathematics teachers -- Training of
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/107848
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AT lerouxjeanpierre casestudyofsecondaryschoolmathematicsteachersevaluatingtheirclassroombasedassessmentsforthepurposeofteachingformathematicalproficiency