Linking Real-Life Situation with Content of School Mathematics at Secondary Level: Exploring Current Practice and Challenge in Bangladesh

Abstract

Worldwide mathematics is considered as a subject in school curriculum which is intimately connected to students’ daily life. However, it is disheartening that there are some level of disconnection between students’ mathematics learning and the way it is applied to real-world. This study is conducted to explore the current practice and challenges in linking real-life situation with mathematical content at secondary level in Bangladesh, a country in transition from least-developed to developing status. Here multiple case study approach was followed under qualitative framework. Mathematics teachers of Grade 8 and their lessons were selected conveniently to explore how teachers were responding to the issues of practice and challenges in linking real-life situation and eventually promoted mathematical literacy in their lessons. Each teacher was considered as a case. Lesson observations, participant teachers’ interview, FGD with students and document analysis had been used as instruments in the study. Thematic analysis was followed as the data analysis technique. In this paper, we briefly summarized our work in exploring current practice and challenges in Bangladesh in connecting real-world with the world of mathematics. This study finds that teachers emphasize on explaining mathematical concept in ways that make sense to students but practice in specific cases. Occasionally, students struggle with mathematical terminologies while teachers are unaware of it. Moreover, teachers find difficulties to connect some mathematical content with real-life situations because of the nature of content and during the lessons they rely on “teaching textbooks” due to time constraint. Both teachers and students in this study point out that textbook examples and problems are not interesting. Finally, this study finds that Grade 8 mathematics textbook, in limited cases, deals with “real” problems: problems that are typically placed in a “situation”. The present study will thus provide insights to the teachers to improve their practice in order to make mathematics more significant and interesting to the students. This study will also notify the textbook writers to bridge between content and context to increase the effectiveness and quality of mathematics textbook by including more real-life oriented mathematical problems. Along with improved teachers’ practice and quality textbook, this study will eventually provide opportunities for students to be engaged with mathematics in a more meaningful way and to finally develop their mathematical literacy at an expected level.

Keywords: Real-life situation, Mathematical literacy, Mathematisation

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-3-19

Publication date: January 31^st 2021