Primary school teachers’ conceptions and practices of multiple representations in mathematics instruction in Lower Manya municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore primary school teachers‟ conceptions and use of multiple representations in the mathematics classroom in the Lower Manya Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The research was conducted in the Lower Manya Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The theoretical framework that underpinned the study was Lesh, Post, and Behr Multiple theory. The research design employed in the study was Case study. All primary three and six mathematics teachers constituted the population of the study. Cluster sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling technique were used to select five respondents from Basic three (P3) and six (P6) primary mathematics teachers from public schools in Lower Manya Municipality. Semi-structured interview guide and observation checklist were used to collect qualitative data. A document analysis sheet was used to examine the curriculum provisions for multiple representations. The qualitative data on the other hand was analysed using thematic analysis. From the analyses of the curriculum documents, it was found that Primary 3 (P3) syllabus had 32 out of 49 (65.31%) objectives whilst the Primary 6 (P6) syllabus had 38 out of 71 (53.52%) objectives presented using multiple representations. The textbook analysis showed that P3 textbook had 41 out of 45 (91.11%) subtopics whereas the P6 textbook had 51 out of 70 (72.86%) subtopics presented using multiple representations. These findings suggest that sufficient provision has been made in the curriculum documents to guide teachers to use multiple representations in their mathematics lesson delivery. The interview responses suggest that participants seemed to be aware of several multiple representations in mathematics teaching, although the term multiple representations were new to most of them. Evidence from classroom observations also suggest that the conceptions teachers hold about multiple representations are scarcely translated into practice. It is therefore recommended that in-service training programmes on multiple representations be organised for teachers on regular basis so that they will be well equipped with the needed skills and knowledge to adequately assist learners to construct their own understanding of mathematical concepts.