Mining Mathematics in Textbook Lessons Erlina Ronda & Jill Adler International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education ISSN 1571-0068 Int J of Sci and Math Educ DOI 10.1007/s10763-016-9738-6 1 23 Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. This e- offprint is for personal use only and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com”. 1 23 Author's personal copy IntJofSciandMathEduc DOI10.1007/s10763-016-9738-6 Mining Mathematics in Textbook Lessons ErlinaRonda1,2 &JillAdler2 Received:9May2015/Accepted:2March2016 #MinistryofScienceandTechnology,Taiwan2016 Abstract In this paper, we propose an analytic tool for describing the mathematics made available to learn in a ‘textbook lesson’. The tool is an adaptation of the MathematicsDiscourseinInstruction(MDI)analytictoolthatwedevelopedtoanalyze whatismadeavailabletolearninteachers’lessons.Ourmotivationtoadapttheuseof the MDI analytic framework to textbooks is to test the relative robustness of the frameworkinmovingacrossdifferentpedagogictexts(e.g.videoofalesson,atextbook lesson). Our initial findings suggest it has applicability across pedagogic texts, thus opening possibilities for using a commonframework and languageinresearchand in professionaldevelopmentactivitiesinvolvingthewrittenandenactedcurricula. Keywords Analyticframework.Curriculumstudies.Mathematicsdiscourse. Opportunitiestolearn.Socio-culturaltheory.Textbooksstudies Introduction Textbooksareinstructionaltextswrittentoteachtheirusers.Assuch,textbookshavesome similaritytoclassroomlessons—ofcourse,withoutpossibilitiesforactual(asopposedto imagined)contributionsfromlearnersinthedevelopmentofthetexts.TIMSS1textbook study defines a textbook lesson as Ba segment of text material devoted to a single main mathematicalorscientifictopicintendedtocorrespondtoateacher’sclassroomlessonon that topic taught over one to three instructional periods^ (Valverde, Bianchi, Wolfe, Schmidt&Houang,2002,p.139).Itthuscorrespondstoaunitofachapterintextbooks. Textbook lessons, like classroom lessons, use a range of examples and tasks and 1TrendsinMathematicsandScienceStudy * ErlinaRonda [email protected] 1 NationalInstituteforScienceandMathematicsEducationDevelopment,Universityofthe Philippines,Quezon,Philippines 2 UniversityoftheWitwatersrand,Johannesburg,SouthAfrica Author's personal copy E.Ronda,J.Adler accompanyingexplanatorytextintheformofanalogies,illustrations,definitions,etc.,to mediatethemathematics.Startingfromthesesimilaritiesinpurposeandoftheelementsin ateacher’sandatextbooklesson,weargueinthispaperthattheanalytictoolwedeveloped toinvestigatewhatismadepossibletolearninteachers’lessons(Adler&Ronda,2015) maybeadaptedtoinvestigatesuchaffordancesintextbooklessons. OurtextbookstudyispartofWitsMathsConnect-Secondary(WMCS)Project—a researchandprofessionaldevelopmentprojectsupportingmathematicsteachersinten disadvantaged schoolsinSouthAfrica.2Arelatedstudyinthe projectonthe teacher- textbookrelationshiphasfoundthatthisrelationshipis‘weak’,andthatwhiletextbook useisevidentinteachers’lessons,selectionsarenotdeliberateandsuggestlimitations in teachers’ awareness of the affordances of the textbooks (Leshota, 2015). Leshota’s (2015)studyfocusedonasmallsampleofteachersinsomeoftheWMCSschools.Her findings nevertheless suggest the need for a tool or framework that could be used to makevisibletheseaffordances. Visibilisingwhatismadepossibletolearninatextbooklessonhasimportbeyondits useandrelationshipwiththeteacher,asitisalsoatextthatsupportslearners’learning. Inourinitialprofessionaldevelopmentworkwithteachers,weobserveddisconnections andincoherenceinsomeoftheteachers’lessons(Venkat&Adler,2012),afunctionat timesofcolloquiallanguageusedandnon-mathematicalsubstantiationsformathemat- ical concepts and procedures (Adler & Venkat, 2014; Adler & Ronda, 2016). We arguedthatsuchmathematicaldiscourseininstructionlimitspossibilitiesforlearnersto reproducecorrectandvaluedmathematicsontheirown.Whatthenofthemathematics teaching in textbook lessons? In what ways does the mathematics discourse in text- booksopenorcloseopportunitiestolearnmathematics?Whatkindoflensmaybeused tovisibilisetheseaffordancesorconstraints? Ourmotivation to putour MathematicalDiscourse inInstruction (MDI) analytic tool developed for classroom lesson analysis to work on textbook lessons is, as suggested earlier,totesttherelativerobustnessoftheMDItoolinmovingacrossdifferentpedagogic texts (i.e. from videotape of a lesson to a textbook lesson). This feeds into our goal of developing a common language and framework for use across multiple contexts of mathematicsteachingandteacherlearningintheprojectandmorespecificallyforuseas adiscursiveresourceorartifactinprofessionaldevelopmentactivities.Whilewehavenot testedtheanalytictoolwereporthereonawiderangeoftextbooklessonsandonlyonsome ofthetopicsthatcorrespondstoourteachers’lessons,ourinitialanalysissuggeststhatthe MDI analytic tool has applicability across pedagogic texts, albeit with some adaptations following from the engagement with the empirical. Our analysis also suggests that the adaptedMDIanalytictoolhasthepotentialtoserveasatoolforcomparingtextbooksand asapracticaltoolforteacherstoexaminewhatthetextbookoffers—potential,thereforeasa resourceforteacherstousetheirtextbooksmoredeliberatelyintheirinstruction.Weofferit hereforfurtherdevelopmentanduseacrosscommunitiesofresearchersandteachers. We begin with a review of research on mathematics textbooks, so as to locate our textbook work in this wider field. Following a brief description of MDI, we then presenthowwehaveadaptedittodescribethemathematicsmadeavailabletolearnina textbook.Finally,weillustratehowwehaveusedtheadaptedframeworkontextbook lessonsonquadraticinequalityand,throughthis,argueforitssalience. 2FurtherdetailonWMCSisavailableatwww.wits.ac.za/WitsMathsConnect. Author's personal copy MiningMathematicsinTextbookLessons Studies in Textbook Analysis Asweknowfrompreviousresearch,textbooksareubiquitousinmathematicsteaching and learning (Askew, Hodgen, Hossain & Bretscher, 2010). It remains the most available resource particularly in developing country contexts (Nagao, Rogan & Magno,2007)includingSouthAfrica,whereteachingandlearningresourceprovision isconstrained (e.g. Adler, 2000).A few studies related totextbooks and mathematics teachingandlearninghavebeenconductedinSouthAfrica(e.g.Bowie,2013;Fleisch, Taylor, Herholdt& Sapire, 2011; Leshota,2015) and contributetoa growing poolof international research in this field. In their recent review of mathematics textbook research,Fan,ZhuandMiao(2013)showapredominanceofcontentanalysisstudies, focusedtypicallyonaparticulartopicandgearedtowardscomparisonacrosstextbooks withinandacrosscountrycontexts.Aswithothermathematicscontentanalysisstudies, the particulartopic has influencedthe analyticframework developed for the study. In Bowie’s (2013) study, for example,the distinction between differentkinds of geome- tries(deductiveandvisual)wascentraltotheanalysis.Similarly,manyoftheinterna- tional studies that involve analysis ofmathematical content are topic specificand use topic-specificanalytictools(e.g.Dole&Shield,2008;Reys,Reys&Koyama,1996; Shield&Dole,2013). There are content analysisstudies thatare not topic specific, but ratherfocused on mathematical practices, such as opportunities for abstraction (Yang, 2013), justifica- tions and explanations (Dolev & Even, 2013) and proofs and proving (Stacey & Vincent, 2009; Stylianides, 2009), which need to be factored in when describing the mathematics made available to learn in textbooks. The analytic frames developed for these,whilenottopicspecific,are‘practice’specific.Eachandallofthesestudieshave enhanced our understanding of different analytic approaches to various topics and practices in textbooks and what these enable and constrain. Our interest and need, however, are for a more generic tool, one that may be used to illuminate the mathe- maticsmadepossibletolearnintextbooks,whateverthetopic,andincludingparticular practices. Newton(2012),workingwithSfard’s(2008)notionofmathematicsasaspecialtypeof discourse,usedagenericframeworktoanalysemathematicsinaparticulartextbook.Her study engaged with the issue of how to compare the mathematics offered in written curriculummaterials(likeatextbook)withthemathematicsofferedintheenactmentof those materials in classroom practice. She argued that an orientation to both texts as discoursesenabledonetoexamineandcomparethemathematicsdiscourseproducedin each.Newton(2012)compared howmathematicalobjectsandtheirsignifiersarecom- municatedinthesecurricularcontextsusingfractions/rationalnumbersassamplecontent. OurstudyofmathematicsintextbooksalignswithNewton’sworkandSfard’sview ofmathematicsasaspecialisedformofdiscourse.ForSfard(2008): [mathematical discourses] are made distinct by their tools, that is, words and visualmeans,andbytheformandoutcomesoftheirprocesses,thatis,theroutines andendorsednarrativesthattheyproduce(emphasisintheoriginal).(p.161) Itfollowsfromthisviewofmathematicsasadiscourse,withitsspecialisedtoolsand processes, that to learn mathematics means to participate in and with these tools and Author's personal copy E.Ronda,J.Adler processes.Weconcurandarguethattoteachmathematicsistocreateopportunitiesfor learners to participate in this discourse. How then are these opportunities created in mathematics instruction? The MDI analytic framework has developed out of the question:Whatarekeytoolsandprocessesofinstructionaldiscourse?Withourbroader aim in the project to develop a common language and tool to support teaching and studyinstruction,ourtoolisbuiltfromcommonelementsofmathematicsinstruction. Teachersdesignmathematicslessonsintermsofexamplesandtasksandhowtheywill explainandsonameandlegitimatewhattheysayordointeachingmathematics.We described these features as cultural tools that mediate mathematics in classroom instruction,andweusetheminthispapertomineformathematicsintextbookslessons. Each of them creates particular opportunities for engaging the different aspects and featuresofmathematicaldiscourse. The MDI Framework TheMDIFrameworkisasocio-culturalframeworkthatarosefromourresearch-linked professional development project focused on developing teachers’ mathematical dis- courseininstruction(Adler&Ronda,2015).Theframeworkcharacterisestheteaching of mathematics as about mediating an object of learning (Marton & Tsui, 2004) via exemplificationandtheaccompanyingexplanatorytalk—twocommonplacepractices that work together with the opportunities provided for learners to participate in mathematicsdiscourse. One ofthe waysweuse theMDI framework istodescribeteachers’ mathematical discourse in instruction with respect to the degree to which it makes possible the development of scientific concepts (Vygotsky, 1978) which aligns with Sfard’ (2008) notionofanBobjectifiedfull-fledgemathematicaldiscourse^(p.289).Tothisend,we developedtheMDIanalytictool(Adler&Ronda,2015)whichenablesustodescribe: (a) whether and how the examples in a lesson and (b) the tasks in which they are embeddedaccumulatetowardsgenerality,(c)theformaland/orinformalnamingofthe mathematicalcontent,(d)whetherandhowthecriteriausedtolegitimatewhatcounts as mathematics enables the mediation of mathematics as coherent and systematic knowledgeand(e)thenatureoflearners’participationinthediscourse. Inthenextsection,weexplaintheseconstituentconstructsoftheMDIAnalytictool (excludinglearnerparticipation)anddescribehowwearrivedatindicatorsandadapted themfortextbookanalysis. Adapting the MDI Analytic Tool for Textbooks Analysis To analyse the mathematics made possible to learn in a textbook lesson, we initially usedtheMDIanalytictool,backgroundingthelearnerparticipationcomponentsinceit is not visible in a written curriculum. What is visible is what learners are invited to participatein,andthisisseeninthetaskssetandaccompanyingtextsorauthors’talk, andthesearepartoftheframeworkwepresent. As the textbook is a different empirical text (from a classroom lesson), we have adapted our description of some of the indicators while retaining the characteristic Author's personal copy MiningMathematicsinTextbookLessons featuresofthe tool, inparticular, indicatorsthatposit a trajectory towards developing scientificdiscourseinthetextbook.Asweexplainbelow,eachofthekeyelementsof instruction((a)–(d)above)foregroundsdifferentelementsofmathematicsdiscoursein instructionandwethusdealwiththemasseparateanalyticconstructs. ‘Object’ofLearning As we have argued in our earlier work, learning is always about something and bringing to the learner what this is, the ‘object’ of learning, is central to the work of teaching(Adler&Ronda,2015).Thisobjectoflearning,ideallywhichisthefocusof thelesson,hasbothcontent(bethisconcept,method,relationshipandprocedure)anda capabilitycomponent(Lo,2012).Inatextbooklesson,theintendedobjectoflearning maybedeterminedfromthesectiontitlelike‘SolvingQuadraticInequalities’.Here,the concept in focus in the lesson is quadratic inequalities and the capability that is expectedofthelearnertodevelop issolvingthese inequalitieswhich entails attention tothemethodsofsolvingandexpressingthefinalsolutionoranswer. While an announcement of the object of learning in the title foregrounds to the textbookreaderthe‘name’ofthemathematicscontentandtherelatedcapabilitythatis infocusortalkedabout(ideally)inthelesson,thatisallitis—aname.Themeaningsto beassociatedwiththatnamehaveyettobemediated.Wearguethatthewaytheauthor uses examples, tasks, words and legitimations affords or constrains opportunities for learningmathematics. Examples Ininstruction,the mathematicalcontent isannounced orvisibilised through examples orthroughitsname.Inthissection,wefocusourattentionfirstonexamples.Wedefine example, following Zodik & Zaslavsky’s (2008) definition, as Ba particular case of a largerclass,fromwhichonecanreasonandgeneralise^(p.165),asaninstantiationof thecontentinfocus(asin9>2x−3isanexampleofalinearinequality).Examplesare usuallypresentedinsymbolicformorinvisualformlikedrawingsofparallelograms, graphsoffunction,etc.Theycanhighlightfeaturesoftheconceptthatisexemplifiedin alesson. Our analysis of how examples mediate the object of learning draws more directly from Variation Theory which posits that the key to better learning involves bringing attentiontopatternsofvariationamidstinvariance(Marton&Pang,2006).Thus,ifwe wantlearnerstoattendtoaparticularfeaturecrucialtotheobjectoflearning,weneed togiveasetofexamplesthatwillforegroundthisfeatureinthelesson.Inalessonon quadraticinequality,forinstance,anexamplespace(meaning,asetofexamples)may consist of x2 > 4, x2 < 4 and x2 = 4. Another example space might consist of the expressions x2 > 4, x2 − 4 > 0, (x − 2)(x + 2) > 0 together with their graphical representations. These example spaces highlight different features of a quadratic inequality. The first example space provides opportunities for seeing contrast—for comparing and contrasting the solutions of the three different relationships between two numbers or function. The second example space shows how the same inequality x2>4appearsindifferentrepresentationalsystemsandthushighlightsdifferentways ofsolvingthem.Thisseeingofsimilaritythusprovidesopportunityforgeneralizingthe Author's personal copy E.Ronda,J.Adler features of x2 > 4 that remain invariant (in this case, its solution) in the different representations. If the second example space was expanded to include further inequalities such as x2 < 6x, x2 + 3x + 1 > 0, then we consider this expanded example space as providing opportunities for discerning simultaneous dimensions of variation (in this case, the dimensions that vary are the functions or expressions involved, the inequality relationships, as well as the corresponding form of solutions). This would signal a move to higher level of generality for the quadratic inequality. The three examples spaces just described show variation that involves contrast (C) (through noticing of difference), generalization (G) (through noticing of similarity)andfusion(F)respectively(Lo,2012). As with our analysis of teachers’ lessons (Adler & Ronda, 2015), we found it necessary toform and describea set ofprogressive indicators for the example spaces in the textbook lessons as follows: Level 1 if only one pattern of variation is used throughoutthelesson,Level2iftwodifferentpatternsofvariationareusedandLevel3 ifallthreepatternsofvariationareused.Iftherearenopatternsofvariationthatcanbe detectedintheexamplespace,thenwecodeitasNONE.NONEdoesnotmeanthatthe author did not provide any examples. It means that the author did not provide opportunitiesforlearnerstodiscernkeyfeaturesofthecontent. Tasks Wedefinetaskstorefertowhatlearnersareaskedtodowiththeexamples(e.g.graph y=2x−3;writeafunctionparalleltoy=2x−3,etc.).Asamediationalmeans,atask is linked with, but different from, an example. Examples are selected to mediate the object of learning by making visible the feature(s) of the content that are key in mediating meanings of the object of learning while tasks are designed to mediate the capabilitieswithrespecttothecontent. Workingwithvarioustasksrelatedtotheobjectoflearningcanincreaseopportunity to learn through different experiences of the content. Thus, in the analysis, we considered not only whether the tasks addressed the capability stated in the object of learning but also whether the tasks have the potential to engage the learners to make connections among features of mathematical content. We coded a task as known procedure/fact(KPF)ifitonlyinvolvesapreviouslylearnedknowledgeand/orproce- dure associated with the object of learning. For example, in a topic on quadratic inequality,ataskthatasksthelearnerstowritethevaluesofxwherex2>4isaKPF task.Itinvolvesinterpretinganexpressionthatisalreadyknownbylearnerswhenthey reach this point in the curriculum. However, if the task involves the current content topicorrequireslearnerstoapplytheprocedurethatisbeingintroducedinthecurrent lesson, then we coded it as Current Topic/Procedure (CTP). For example, a task that asksthelearnerstosolveaquadraticinequality(giveninalgebraicfrom)usinggraphs would beclassifiedas CTPtask asthisrequires the learner touse a ‘new’ method of solving introduced in the lesson. We would also classify the task solve the inequality x2>4x[oranyinequalitydifferentinform/structurefromtheworkedexamplesection] as CTP. Tasks that involve making a decision as to the procedure and concepts that need to be called upon to answer the task or requiring connections between concepts were coded as application/making connectionstasks(AMC).Anexample ofanAMC task from Textbook B (Fig. 2) analysed belowisTosolvetheequation Author's personal copy MiningMathematicsinTextbookLessons (x+4)(x−1)=0,weusethefollowingpropertyofzero:ifab=0,thena=0orb=0. Canweusethispropertyinaninequality?AnotherexamplealsofromTextbookBofan AMCtaskwouldbeifab>0isitalwaystruethata>0orb>0? As with the example spaces, after categorizing the tasks, we further developed indicatorsfordescribingmovementtowardscientificconcepts:Level1—thetextbook lessonprovidedKPFtasksonly;Level2—thetextbooklessonprovidedCTPtasks,but noAMCtasks;andLevel3—includesCTPandAMCtasks. Tasks in the worked example3 section of the textbook lesson require further discussion, as they are not previously known though individual steps in them might be, but they also do not require application. As worked examples are provided, and steps typically illustrated and explained, we code these as KPF. The students’ partic- ipation inworkingwithexamplesistointerpretthe author’s solution, followingsteps drawingonpreviouslyknownmathematics.However,theremightbeadditionaltasks in this section that the author leaves for the learner to work on, and so some form of application.Inthiscase,theywouldbecodedaccordingly. Naming/WordUse We have argued in our earlier paper (Adler & Ronda, 2015) that how we name mathematical concepts (i.e. the specific words we use) and the way we name procedures/actions carried out on them focuses learners’ attention in particular ways. According to Wagner (2015), pointing things out and naming them draws one’s attention to something in particular and gives that thing a signifier to facilitate com- munication about it. In our analysis of teachers’ lessons, we examine the use of mathematical and non-mathematical words to refer to mathematical concepts, the relationships between them and to the procedures carried out on them. From the empirical data, we were able to identify types of word use during instruction and assignedcorrespondinglevelstoshowthedegreeofappropriateandmoreformaluses of mathematical words and phrases. In our analysis of textbook lessons, as would be expected,wefoundappropriateuseofmathematicalwordsandsoitwasnecessaryto further analyze the texts or the author’s talk in terms of how the use of mathematical wordssupportsthemovetowardformalmathematicaltalk. Inwrittenmathematicaldiscourse(suchasintextbooks),Bactionsandprocessesare beingturnedintonouns^(Pimm&Wagner,2003,p.163).Whilenoun-basedtalkisthe privileged talk in mathematics (Schleppegrell, 2007), this could invite concern about accessibilityespeciallyfor learnerswhoseexperience with mathematics may be more about‘action’than‘entities’.InthestudybydeFreitas,Wagner,Esmonde,Knipping, Lunney Borden and Reid (2012), for example, teachers who noticed the nominalised talk in textbooks during their workshop proposed to turn the nouns into verbs as nominalisation is not typical of how they speak in their class and because learners could find this way of talking difficult. This nominalisation-verbification (de Freitas et al., 2012) dilemma4 points to the need for noticing how the tension between these 3Noticethatthewordexampleshereisnotthesameastheywaywedefineexampleintheanalytictool describedintheprevioussection. 4WeusethisterminthesenseofAdler(1999,2001)tomeanthatwhileanalyticallydistinct,andappearasa dichotomy,therearenoteither-orsintheworkofteaching.Dilemmashavetobe‘managed’. Author's personal copy E.Ronda,J.Adler different types of ‘talk’ plays out in written curricula, and so whether and how nominalisation might function in a textbook to make it less accessible to learners, or on the other hand, whether there is a lack of nominalisation and so limiting opportu- nities for learner to have exposure to and access to valued ways of talking mathematically. The context in which mathematical words are used also matters (Schleppegrell, 2007). As we engaged with the texts, we observed that mathematical words are sometimes used as labels. For example, a label or stand-alone use of mathe- matical word would be ‘number line solution’ to label a particular way of writing the solution of inequality. In our textbook analysis, we coded this type of words use as L for label. Mathematical words are also embedded in statements about mathematical proce- dures (foundintasks and inworked examples) or about the propertiesormeaning of theconcept.Suchstatementsdiffer.Forexample,(1)Tosolvex2−9>0,lookforall possible values of x which make the expression x2-9 positive; or Solve the inequality x2−9>0arestatementsaboutaprocedure,andthewayitisnamedimpliesactionon the inequality which is to solve. For our purposes here, we call this kind of narrative aboutproceduresasactiontalk.Anotherbutdifferentwayofsayingthiswouldbe(2) Tofindthesolutiontox2−9>0,lookforallthepossiblevaluesofxwhichmakethe expressionx2-9positive.Thisstatement,whilealsoaboutprocedures,focusesattention onthesolution,anoun,andsoaconceptinitself.Inouranalysis,statementssuchasin (1) are coded PA (procedure-action) while statements such as in (2) are coded PN (procedure-noun) The author’s talk may also be about the meaning of the mathematical concept directly. For example, the narrative (3) An inequality gives the relationship between two expressions using the signs > and < is talk about the meaning of inequality. Anotherexample would be(4)BThesolutiontox2 −9> 0are the valuesofx which maketheinequalitytrue^isalsotalkaboutthemeaningofthesolutionoftheinequality andnothowtofindthesolution.Wecallthiskindoftalkoruseofwordasobjecttalk. However, iftheauthor’s statementissomethinglike(5)The solutionofaninequality consistsofarangeofvaluesofx,thenwhilethisisalsoobjecttalk,itreferssimplytoa featureofthesolutionandnotthemeaningofasolution.Wecodedwordusesuchas thoseinnarratives(3)and(4)asOM(object-meaning)whilethoseinnarrativessuchas (5)asOF(object-feature). Sincethemeaningofthewordisderivedfromitsuse(WittgensteininSfard,2008, p. 73), we privilege the use of mathematical names that are embedded in various narrativesoverthosewordsthatweresimplyusedaslabels.Furthermore,wearealso privileging the noun form over the verb form or action-based names as the former is ultimately required in mathematics. Lastly, we privilege talk about a concept that defines what it is, over talk focused only on its features. Thus, for level categories, weusedthefollowingrules:Level1—anyonetypeofworduseispresent(L,PA,PN, OF,orOM),Level2—atleastanytwoofthecodesarepresentandLevel3—atleast threeofthecodes(PA,PN,OF,OM)arepresentinthelesson. Word use shows the manner and extent of formal mathematics talk in the text particularly the talk on procedures and talk of concepts. What remains to be investigated that is not ‘seen’ in the discussion above is how concepts and procedures are substantiated.
Description: