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ERIC Number: EJ1453903
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2079-8245
EISSN: EISSN-2308-1422
Available Date: N/A
Supporting Teacher Dispositions towards Translanguaging-for-Learning in a Grade 9 Mathematics Classroom
Reading & Writing: Journal of the Literacy Association of South Africa, v15 n1 Article 503 2024
Background: Our article argues that the role of translingual instruction in mathematics classrooms is under-recognised in South Africa, as policymakers, teacher educators, teachers, learners, and parents assume that mathematics is just about numbers and calculations and not language. This is despite findings on the value of using children's familiar language resources in MacDonald (1991), code-switching for meaning-making in mathematics and science learning by Setati et al. (2002) and Probyn (2015), and the findings by Mbude (2019) on using isiXhosa for boosting mathematical and science skills. Objectives: The main aim of our article is to examine the role of the Languaging-for-Learning (L4L) project in fostering 'supportive teacher dispositions' to translanguaging and bilingual and multilingual education. We will accomplish this aim through description and analysis of one Grade 8 and Grade 9 mathematics teacher and her learners who participated in the project. Method: The study is a qualitative and interpretive linguistic ethnographic case study of a Grade 8 and Grade 9 mathematics teacher. The researchers used ethnographic methods to collect data and primarily draw on data transcribed from one of the video recordings of a lesson, fieldnotes of their classroom observations and still photographs from their classroom visits and L4L workshops. They used discourse analysis to interpret the data. Results: The research findings point to the critical role that fostering supportive teacher dispositions to translanguaging can play in teacher development and in supporting learners' engagement and learning in multilingual mathematics classrooms. Contribution: Our contribution to the field has been in demonstrating pluriversality in mathematics classrooms, showing how translanguaging enhances meaning-making and participation and helps to give voice to learners. Conclusion: Having multilingual resources, collaboratively building knowledge and resources and team teaching with teachers played a role in supporting the teacher's development in pedagogical translanguaging.
AOSIS. 15 Oxford Street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550 South Africa. Tel: +27-21-975-2602; Fax: +27-21-975-4635; e-mail: publishing@aosis.co.za; Web site: https://rw.org.za/index.php/rw
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 9; High Schools; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Grade 8
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A