Analysis of analogy use on function concept in the ninth grade mathematics textbook and classrooms

Date

2009

Author

Ünver, Emel

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The primary objective of the current study was to examine how analogies are used on function concept in the ninth grade mathematics textbook and classrooms. Using qualitative research procedure comprising textbook analysis and classroom observations, a picture was developed of how analogies used on function concept in ninth grade mathematics textbook and classrooms. One mathematics textbook, the primary source for observed classes was selected and analyzed for the study. Chapter entitled as “functions” in the selected textbook was closely examined for use of analogies therein. Subtitles of the chapter used in the analysis were identified according to the subtitles taught in observed classes. Moreover, the data were obtained from the observation of two teachers’ 9th grade mathematics clasess during the 7-week data collection period. Totally, twenty-five lessons were videorecorded. Having determined which comparisons would be counted as analogies, each of the textbook and classroom analogies was classified according to an analogy classification framework including eight criteria, modified from that of Thiele and Treagust’s (1994). Analysis of the textbook suggested that all the analogies were enriched and functional, majority of them presented in both verbal and pictorial formats, most of them were advance organizers or post-synthesizers and some of them were embedded activators. However, none of them was explained completely and contained any limitations. On the other side, analysis of classroom analogies revealed that nearly all the analogies were functional, enriched or extended presented verbally as embedded activators, and all of them explained absolutely without any stated limitations.

Subject Keywords

Mathematics education., Classroom Observation.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/3/12611356/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/19212

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Theses