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ERIC Number: EJ1018710
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1442-3901
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Changing Beliefs about Teaching in Large Undergraduate Mathematics Classes
Kensington-Miller, Barbara; Sneddon, Jamie; Yoon, Caroline; Stewart, Sepideh
Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, v15 n2 2013
Many lecturers use teacher-centred styles of teaching in large undergraduate mathematics classes, often believing in the effectiveness of such pedagogy. Changing these beliefs about how mathematics should be taught is not a simple process and many academic staff are reluctant to change their ways of lecturing due to tradition and ease. This study describes the journey of a mathematician as he accepted the challenge to ask students to work interactively on well thought out questions in large lectures. The mathematician's espoused and enacted beliefs about lecturing were confronted through a cyclical process of developing questions, testing them in lectures, and refining them in collaboration with a research group. As he went through the process of testing and reflecting on his teaching practice, the gap between his espoused and enacted beliefs decreased as they became more aligned. The study demonstrates that the process of collaborative reflection with a team of educators can be a useful strategy for effecting change in lecturers' beliefs.
Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. GPO Box 2747, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia. Tel: +61-8-8363-0288; Fax: +61-8-8362-9288; e-mail: mted@merga.net.au; Web site: http://www.merga.net.au/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A