Using Classroom Scenarios to Reveal Mathematics Teachers’ Understanding of Sociomathematical Norms

Abstract

This study aimed to understand teachers’ level of sociomathematical norm awareness before entering into and observing their classes. We developed five classroom scenarios exemplifying classroom interactions shaped by certain sociomathematical norms to reveal mathematics teachers’ level of understanding for sociomathematical norms instead of entering into their classes and making long-term observations. We applied these scenarios to 61 grade 1-12 teachers and collected their written responses and analyzed the data using quantitative and qualitative techniques. First, the findings suggest that sociomathematical norm awareness is neither dependent on which school level teachers teach nor on their background or demographic characteristics such as number of years they spent in teaching, specialty area, faculty graduated, highest degree earned, and gender. Second, teachers’ beliefs about sociomathematical norms are almost in contrast with what they actually know about sociomathematical norms. Third, use of scenarios was helpful in revealing teachers’ understanding of sociomathematical norms. Finally, there are three crosscutting themes that the teachers referred to in common for all sociomathematical norms: opposition (opposition to the core of the norm), social facilitator (considering all targeted norms as supporting and regulating the classroom social environment) and condition-based (believing that interactions given in scenarios are only possible under certain conditions).