Using Writing Methods to Teach Math to Secondary Level Students

Author(s):

Byung-In Seo(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

24. Mathematics Education Research

Format:

Paper

Session Information

24 SES 01, Welcoming session for NW24 Mathematics Education Research: Investigating around the World

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-08

13:15-14:45

Room:

659.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

Javier Diez-Palomar

Contribution

In her research, Langer (2014) collected writing samples and observed students in the United States complete in-class writing assignments from English, math, social science, and science classes. She learned that students spent the most time, writing in class, in mathematics class. The majority of this writing was calculations, but there were other elements that needed to be examined. Similar to many countries, in U.S. secondary-level schools, literacy instruction is relegated to the English/mother tongue department. This presentation can help writing and mathematics education researchers see the intersection of language and literacy within a mathematical context.

Adolescent mathematical writing consists of more than scripted words. Symbols allows people the ability to convey these mathematical concepts and processes to others. It also consists of mathematical symbols and images. It is the intertwining of these three aspects of mathematical writing that makes mathematical communication possible between the students and their audience. Students who are successful at mathematics are able to understand mathematical language and be able to manipulate and apply mathematical meanings to the symbols, images, and words (Rotman, 2000).

While there is no steadfast definition of mathematical writing (Morgan, 1998), it can be seen as a thematic condensation of mathematical terms, symbols, and images to convey mathematical knowledge and meaning. Thematic condensation is when “the whole implied activity can be qualified and related to other activities in a highly condensed manner” (Lemke, 1995, p. 60). For mathematics, thematic condensation can exist in several ways: symbols, nominalization, and images.

Symbols are the essence of mathematics. They are objects that convey meaning, and this meaning is contingent on the social context and accepted discourse. As a means of condensing the mathematical meaning into its smallest component, symbols delegate complex cognitive tasks to an external environment (Van Dyke & Heefer, 2014). Nominalizations are words that are used to convey complex processes and concepts (Lemke, 1995). Images can be diagrams, pictures, graphs, tables, or other forms of representation that are not considered to be symbols or nominalizations (O'Halloran, 2008).

Research question: How do English literacy teaching methods work in a math classroom? What elements of mathematical writing emerge from these exercises?

Method

Over one semester, two junior high school math teachers (grades 7 and 8) and three high school math teachers (grades 9, 10, and 11) from three schools (one junior high school, two high schools) were taught to use four different writing exercises in their routine instruction. First is a graphic organizer called: Function-What-Why. Second is the use of vocabulary stories. Third is the use of Role-Audience-Format-Topic (RAFT), and fourth is the use of procedural essays. Aside from Function-What-Why, the other exercises are commonly taught in secondary-level English classes. The junior high school teachers chose to only use procedural essays, and the high school teachers chose to use the graphic organizer, vocabulary stories, and procedural essays. No teacher chose to use RAFT. When asked why not, all of the teachers said that they didn't have enough time to teach and use the RAFT exercise. Teachers were then interviewed, asking if they noticed any improvement in their students' academic performance.

Expected Outcomes

Over one semester, 191 writing samples were collected. 27 samples came from the junior high school, and 164 writing samples were collected from the high-school. Mathematical writing elements were present in all of the writing. Students used a combination of symbols (equations), nominalizations, and images. The vocabulary stories used nominalizations even though none of the stories had mathematical topics. Images were used as notation devices instead o explanatory one. None of the images were imbedded into the text. Instead, they were off to the side of the main text. All of the teachers said that they saw "improvement" in their students' work; the students were better able to calculate and communicate the mathematical processes and concepts. For the teachers in this study, content area literacy methods that are commonly used in English classes worked in their secondary-level math classrooms. These methods can easily be incorporated into any mother tongue language department, because, to some extent, content area literacy methods are similar. Math teachers identified areas of improvement, primarily with their students' computational and communication skills. Initially, the students balked at doing English work in math class. However, with consistency, the teachers said that the students either resigned themselves to the exercises or saw the value of them. These exercises were especially helpful to the "non-math" students. As one high-school teacher stated, which is similar to the others, "She [student] actually doesn't care about my class, but when I had her write the story, she just went to town, and she got it, used the words correctly [with mathematical meanings]." With support, math teachers can use literacy methods in their routine instruction.

References

Langer, J. (2014). Paper presented at the Writing Research across Borders 2014 Conference, Nanterre, France. Lemke, J. L. (1995). Textual politics. London, Great Britain: Taylor & Francis. Morgan, C. (1998). Writing mathematically. London, Great Britain: Falmer Press. O'Halloran, K. L. (2008). Mathematical discourse. London, Great Britain: Continuum. Rotman, B. (2000). Mathematics as sign. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP. Whitin, P., & Whitin, D. J. (2000). Math is a language too. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Van Dyck, M., & Heefer, A. (2014). Script and symbolic writing in mathematics and natural philosophy. Foundations of Science, 19(1), 1-10.

Author Information

Byung-In Seo (presenting / submitting)

Chicago State University

Chicago

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