The Role of Mathematics Teachers towards Enhancing Students’ Participation in Classroom Activities

Large-scale comparative international and national surveys continue to show poor performance of students in Mathematics. Given such consistently poor productivity, much research has sought to identify students in school and out-of-school experiences that influence achievement and related outcomes especially those that are alterable or partly alterable by educators and could be manipulated by policy makers. Research in western countries has shifted attention away from school-lever factors to learning environment of the classroom (Saburoh, Shyoichi 1984). In fact, all factors that contribute to educational outcomes exist in one way or another in classrooms that differ in terms of learning environments. They have unique effects on pupils learning independently of factors operating at school and individual levels (Richard  1994).

The classroom activities influence on students achievement is two or three times more than the school level. Classroom teaching is nearly a universal activity designed to help students to learn. It is the process that brings the curriculum into contact with students and through which educational goals are to be contacted with

students and through which educational goals are to be achieved. The quality of classroom teaching is a key to improving students learning (Brown et al. 2003). Although, setting standards for content and performance is an important first step, but merely doing so and holding teachers accountable will not improve students learning (Anderson, Brophy 1998). Accordingly, particular attention should be paid to the actual process of teaching. However, a number of studies in classroom activities provide the critical link between students’ achievement data and teacher practices at classroom level, this link is unfortunately lacking in most national education surveys(Smith 1987).

Teaching and assessment are rarely studied at level, but education policy is often discussed nationally. It is important to know what aspects of teaching and assessment contribute significantly to achievement so that national discussions of classroom practices focus on the typical experiences of students (Richard 2003). Accordingly, research is needed to answer questions raised about the role of Mathematics teachers towards enhancing students practices related to instructional activities and classroom assessment environment.

Findings of research suggested that several classroom instructional activities were associated with achievement and noted that the ways in which instructional activities are presented in classroom context affects student achievement (Sewell1984; Anderson and Brophy 1998; Cooper 1998). Moreover, Sommer (1999) found that quality of instruction influence achievement at the class level.

Instructional activities in class include variables that describes aspects of classroom instruction such as quality of teaching style and opportunity to learn. The teaching context is established through preconceptions held by the teacher about the process of learning and how that might be facilitated (Mouly 1982). Perceptions of the learning process at various levels of constructive inform different teaching practices which in turn lead to modification of the students’ perception of the learning environment. It found that quality of teaching was a significant predicator of student achievement even after controlling for effects of students characteristics (Sommer 1999). In addition, Cavas (2002) found that quality of teaching did not have statistically significant effect on achievement at classroom level. An important part of any instructional setting is the teaching style. 

Research results suggested that teaching style exerted effects on student achievement that were independent of students’ characteristics (Smith 1987). The promise “one teaching style fits all” which is attributed to a teacher-centered teaching style is not working for a growing number of diverse student population. Problems occur when teaching styles conflict with students learning styles, often resulting in limited learning or no learning. Haladyna and Shaughnessy (1983) offers learner-centeredness as a model for responding to classroom challenges because of its viability for meeting divers needs. Both teaching styles (teacher and learnercentered) recognize the student as a key factor in improving student achievement .The teacher  centered style places control for learning in the hands of the teacher who decided what students would learn and how the teacher uses his expertise in content knowledge to help learner make connections. Teacher provides a variety of instructional methods and techniques for helping learners construct their learning and develop a system for applying knowledge and theory (Brown et al. 2003).

Cooper (1998) found that student learn more in classes where they spend most of their time being taught or supervised by teachers, rather than working on their own. One of the main factors related to achievement scores is opportunity to learn which refers to the amount of time students are given to learn the curriculum. The extent of the students’ opportunity to learn content bears directly and decisively on student achievement (Saburoh and Shyoichi 1984). In addition, homework is seen as a contribution towards students’ learning, extending the curriculum beyond the classroom and it can be conceived as one facet of opportunity to learn in the sense that home assignments offer students the opportunity to continue school work after regular school hours. Anderson and Prophy argued that through homework assignments teachers could be assured that students did their learning time beyond school hours (Anderson and Prophy 1998).

Homework could be considered as a proxy measure for the degree to which teachers academically challenged “pressed” their students. While doing homework in Mathematics, of the important subjects, are the amount, type and efficiency of homework may also be important. Research has indicated that the amount of homework given by teacher was found to have contradictory effect on achievement. For instance, Baumer showed that the frequency of homework assignments had a positive effect on achievement gains (Baumer 2002). Cooper observed a positive linear relationship between hours per week spent on homework (5 to 10

hours) and achievement through examining studies, also Cooper reported that the average correlation between time spent on homework and achievement was 0.21 (Cooper 1998). The assignment of appropriate homework can stimulate independent engagement in learning tasks. According to Gerades textbook-based homework was associated with higher achievement (Gerades 1991).

Whilst working on textbook problems and on projects were associated with lower test scores, regulate review of student homework can provide insight into student progress and source of problems. A clear message needs to be conveyed to students that responsibility to do the home-work is the same as the responsibility to work in class.

The classroom assessment environment has been defined as the context created for learners by several aspects of teachers’ use of formative and summative evaluations of their work, and assessment should as far as possible be integral to the normal teaching and learning programmed. For instance testing should be considered as an opportunity to learn (Anderson and Prophy 1998). In addition, teachers know how students are progressing and where they are having trouble, they can use this information to make necessary

instructional approaches of offering more opportunities for practice (Smith 19887).

Feedback is required because students need information about their accomplishments in order to grow and progress (Gerades 1991). Feedback related to assessment outcomes helps learners become aware of any gaps that exist between their desired goal and their current knowledge understanding skills and guides them through actions necessary to achieve the goal (Richard 1994).

Thus, the study relative to  this is considered of vital importance for the following reasons:

1. It lights on the important domains of the students’ participation in classroom activities that teachers of Mathematics use in their classrooms.

2. It lights on the role of Mathematics teacher towards enhancing students’ participation in classroom activities.

3. Help the decision-makers of the ministry of education to know the fact of students’ participation in classroom activities.

4. The results of this study are going to contribute to putting solutions in how to enhance students’ participation in classroom activities.