Abstract

Teachers' instructional decisions are important for students' mathematics learning as they determine the learning opportunities for all students. This study examines teachers' decisions about the activities and tasks they choose for students' mathematics learning, the ordering and connecting of mathematics topics, and the mathematics within curricula not to cover. These decisions are referred to as curricular decisions. I also identify teachers' mathematical schemes, referred to as mathematical meanings, in relation to geometric reflections and orientation of figures and examine teachers' reasoning with their mathematical meanings as they make these curricular decisions. Additionally, based on the results of this study I identify several productive and unproductive mathematical meanings in relation to geometric reflections and orientation of figures. Describing productive mathematical meanings as providing coherence to student mathematical understanding and preparing students for future mathematics learning (Thompson, 2016). These findings can be used to better understand why teachers make the curricular decisions they do as well as help teachers identify whether or not their mathematical meanings are productive in an effort to foster productive mathematical meanings for students.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Mathematics Education

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2020-07-29

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd11344

Keywords

curricular reasoning, mathematical meanings, geometric reflections, orientation of figures, grade 8 teachers

Language

english

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