CAREER: Discourse Analysis: A Catalyst for Reflective Inquiry in Mathematics Classrooms

本研究旨在探讨中学数学课堂中数学话语的本质；中学数学教师的信念在制定改革导向教学时影响话语的方式，以及如何利用这些信息结合实践者的研究，使用话语分析的概念和工具来改进数学教学。这项工作的意义在于理解课堂话语如何影响学习环境，并以标准提出的方式吸引学生学习数学。这些文件的重点是促进对概念的理解和理解，而不是在更传统的数学教学中往往优先强调程序。只有将当前数学教学中的一些话语模式从交流的传递模式转变为支持探究的模式，才能实现《标准》的愿景。本研究计划对中学数学课堂的语篇进行六至九个个案研究。这些案例研究将突出课堂话语模式——形式、功能和意义。此外，我们将捕捉教师从事实践性研究项目的过程，他们选择话语的一个方面进行改变，并研究这种变化对课堂学习环境的影响。该项目还将研究来自话语分析和实践者研究项目的工具和概念的组合如何影响教师的信念。该项目的教育目标是设计一个长期的专业发展计划，该计划将与其他教师群体一起继续进行。研究案例研究和其他数据将用于撰写本科方法课程的案例研究，并作为长期专业发展计划的一部分。此外，这些案例将提供给其他教师和教育工作者。大学研究人员和教师研究人员将合作开发课程和研讨会，包括专业发展计划。

The objectives of the proposed project are to examine: the nature of mathematical discourse in middle school mathematics classrooms; the ways in which middle school mathematics teachers' beliefs impact the discourse when working to enact reform-oriented instruction and how this information can be used to incorporate practitioner research using concepts and tools of discourse analysis to improve mathematics instruction. The significance of this work comes in understanding how classroom discourse can affect the learning environment and engage students in learning mathematics in the ways proposed by the Standards. The focus of those documents has been to promote conceptual understanding and sense making instead of the procedural emphasis that often takes precedence in more traditional mathematics teaching. The Standards vision can only be achieved if some of the discourse patterns in current mathematics instruction are changed from a transmission model of communication to one that supports inquiry.The research plan is to conduct six to nine case studies of the discourse in middle school mathematics classrooms. These case studies will highlight classroom discourse patterns -- the form, function and meaning. In addition, we will capture the process of teachers engaging in practitioner research projects in which they choose an aspect of their discourse to change and study the affects of that change on the classroom learning environment. The project will also examine how the combination of tools and concepts from discourse analysis and practitioner research projects affect teacher beliefs. The educational goal of this project is to design a long-term professional development program that will continue beyond this funding with other cohorts of teachers. The research case studies and other data will be used to write case studies for both undergraduate methods courses and to be used as part of a long-term professional development program. In addition, these cases will be made available to other teacher educators. University researchers and teacher researchers will collaboratively develop the courses and workshops that comprise the professional development program.