Teachers ’ Characteristics: One Lesson ─ Two Learning Environments

This study explored the thinking exhibited by two teachers as they implemented a mathematical activity designed to introduce young children to investigations. The video data revealed substantial differences in the teachers ’ distinguishing teaching characteristics. Differences in the quality of their specific teaching characteristics were also identified using a classroom observation instrument. These differences in teaching characteristics suggest that though the teachers ostensibly implemented the same lesson, there was considerable variation in the learning opportunities for each class. Background Mathematical investigations have been advocated for children because they provide opportunities for them to develop thinking skills and content knowledge (Baroody & Coslick, 1998). However because the implementation of inquiry-based approaches results in a radically different curriculum (Taber, 1998), my colleagues and I have explored some of the key issues in implementing mathematical investigations with children of seven to eight years. These issues include: the types of tasks that promote investigation; how children learn from investigations and the difficulties they encounter; and how teachers can support or inhibit students ’ reasoning in investigations (Diezmann, Watters, & English, 2001a, 2001b, 2002). The finding that teachers can inhibit students ’ reasoning highlights the need to understand teachers ’ thinking about the implementation of investigations. Investigations require teachers to reconceptualise the nature of mathematics and to teach mathematics in new and different ways (Taber, 1998). Teachers ’ thinking about how to create learning opportunities for students can be explored by studying teaching characteristics (Doerr, 2002; Doerr & Lesh, 2002). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of teachers as they implement an investigatory activity with young children