Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 11

Sharing Good Practice
STRATEGIES TO HELP TEACHERS FOSTER
MATHEMATICAL MASTERY FOR ALL STUDENTS
BY: DR JASON JOHNSON, LAWRENCE MEDA AND DR FATIMA BAILEY
they will begin to complete such a task
with ease.
Culturally Relevant
Pedagogy
T
eaching for mathematical
mastery
is
extremely
challenging for the 21st Century
teacher. This could be due to
a multitude of factors. Nevertheless,
there are some strategies teachers can
implement to overcome any barriers.
This article will describe 4 strategies a
teacher can easily integrate into their
instruction.
Spiral Learning Theory
Spiral Learning Theory (typically referred
to as spiralling the curriculum) is when
the learner encounters previously
taught material. Additionally, each
time the learner is confronted with the
previous material, the complexity is also
increased. We believe in a modified
spiralling of the curriculum. We define
a modified spiralling of the curriculum
as assessing only major learning
outcomes; while the complexity of the
task does not need to be increased, of
course depending on the level of the
learner.
For example, in Grade 7 – unit 3,
students may have learned to solve
one-step equations. Students solving
one-step equations is a huge task and
a major learning outcome that is used
in every proceeding grade. With that
said, the teacher would put a one-step
equation on unit 4 assessment, and
another one-step equation on unit 5
assessment; and so on. Since this is a
major learning outcome, students are
responsible for being able to solve a
one-step equation. Teachers will find
that, as students are encountered with
a modified spiralling of the curriculum,
Teachers who make a connection to
their students’ culture have proven
success to insure mathematical
mastery. Gloria Ladson-Billings created
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRT) as
a way for teachers to reach all students.
CRT has three components: academic
achievement, cultural competence,
and
sociopolitical
consciousness.
Academic achievement is when
teachers have high and rigorous
academic expectations and meet
students where they are. Cultural
competence requires teachers to
understand and actively learn about the
cultural background of their students.
Typically teachers use the student
culture as a baseline for learning and
this empowers the student to learn.
Sociopolitical consciousness requires
teachers to integrate the following into
their instruction – sociopolitical issues
that influence their students, their
students’ communities, and the world.
Collaborative Approach
Simply put, collaborative learning
is when two or more people work
together to solve an educational
problem or search for an understanding
of a particular topic. In a subject like
Mathematics, it entails giving students
cognitive Mathematical tasks to solve
together. This approach is purely
student-centred and it encourages
them to learn from one another.
Collaborative learning is deeply rooted
in Vygotsky’s theory, which foregrounds
learning in a social and interactive
environment. In collaborative learning,
a teacher plays a role of guiding and
supporting students in their respective
collaborative groups.
Differentiation
Students’ levels of understanding
Mathematical concepts are totally
different. As a result, they need to be
taught inclusively in accordance with
their respective cognitive abilities. That
means students cannot be treated
as if they have homogeneous levels
of understanding Math. They have to
be taught according to their different
levels of understanding and abilities.
There are many ways of differentiation.
These include differentiation of the
curriculum, teaching and assessment.
The main objective of differentiating
is to provide equitable support to all
students in the class so that they can
reach their full learning potential.
Our goal, through this article, is to
provide teachers with strategies that
promote mathematical mastery and
literacy. The 4 strategies presented can
easily be integrated into any lesson.
For the greatest impact, using all 4
strategies concurrently will improve
mathematical mastery for all students.
Dr Fatima Bailey is faculty at Zayed University. Her previous roles included
educational leadership and school administration for K-12 schools in the UAE and
USA. She provides mentorship for in-service teachers in the Ta’Alouf Program for
Career Based Teacher Development, Al Jalila Foundation.
Dr Jason Johnson teaches mathematics education and graduate education
courses. He is especially interested in teaching mathematics for social justice,
ethnomathematics, and effective use of technology in the teaching and learning
of mathematics. Dr Jason is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of
Education Studies in the College of Education at Zayed University, UAE.
Lawrence Meda holds a PhD in Curriculum Studies and he is working at Zayed
University as an Assistant Professor. He has 10 years of experience working as
a university lecturer. He is enthusiastic about teaching using technology and
conducting research which is responsive to community needs.
Class Time
Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020
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