Journal of Mathematics Education

Digital Pedagogy for Self-Paced Learning in Mathematics Education

Bed Prasad Dhakal — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examined the contribution of digital pedagogy (DP) to self-paced learning in higher mathematics education. The research question was: In what ways does DP contribute to a resourceful learning environment to address individual learning styles and preferences in higher mathematics education? The study used a quantitative approach, employing a critical Action Research design with pre-test and post-test measures. The study participants were 126 third-semester students taking a Differential Geometry course in 2017. The tool used was the self-paced learning (SPL) index survey questionnaire. Based on analysis and discussion with relevant literature, this paper highlights the benefits of digital pedagogy, including the promotion of 21st-century skills, the provision of anytime and anywhere learning opportunities, and the creation of an e-resource repository to ensure SPL. Moreover, digital pedagogy provides adaptive learning experiences that can be adjusted to each student’s learning pace and style, enabling them to learn effectively and achieve their full potential.

Students' Perceptions and Interpretations of Democratic Practices in Mathematics Classroom

Yagya Prasad Gnawali — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to find out students’ perceptions and interpretations of democratic practices in mathematics classrooms. A quantitative research strategy based on the positivist paradigm was used. In Kathmandu district's 20 public secondary schools, 200 respondents in the ninth grade—100 boys and 100 girls—were randomly selected for the sample. Data collection was carried out using a self-created questionnaire that had 25 statements and five Likert-type response alternatives. The self-developed questionnaire's validity was verified by the opinions of experts, and reliability was established by the Cronbach's alpha, 0.82. I prepared four factors according to loading components. The results of the research showed that teachers should use democratic practices to engage students in the learning process and prepare them for the needs of democratic values in classroom practices.

Perception and Experience of Teachers in Implication of Inductive and Deductive Methods in Mathematics Classes

Hari Prasad Sapkota — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper aims to explore the teachers’ experiences and perceptions towards the implication of inductive and deductive methods in mathematics classes at the primary level. The inductive method is the beginning of all mathematics and derives the formula; the deductive method is the continuity of it and implements those formulas. This article is based on a phenomenological research method under qualitative design, focusing on the lived experience of four primary mathematics teachers on the ‘implementation of inductive and deductive method’ in elementary mathematics classes and their perceptions towards these methods. The data were analyzed and interpreted by using the thematic analyzing approach. The findings of the study show that the teachers were in a dilemma in the selection of proper teaching methods in mathematics teaching, and they followed the traditional methods. Knowingly or unknowingly, the teachers were using inductive and deductive methods, but they were not sure about the correct implementation of those methods. Their perceptions towards the inductive method was positive and they believed that it helps students for developing permanent concepts; however, the teachers were confused in its implications. Most of the teachers were following the traditional teaching methods in mathematics classes instead of student-centered teaching methods. They argued that for a short-cut and easy for the implementation, they were using the traditional methods. The teachers should be trained for better implementation of the inductive and deductive methods in the proper teaching of mathematics at the primary level.

Demystification of Geometrical Patterns through Cultural Activities in Bamboo/Nigalo Baskets (Doko)

Bhim Bahadur Rokaya — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Bamboo/ Nigalo basket (Doko) is one of the most useful tools in Nepali society. This study sought to identify the mathematical concepts, the implication of space curves, and their relations in the bamboo Doko. Both primary and secondary sources of data have been consulted in this study. Data and information were gathered from the related literature, analysis of archival documents, and observing the activities related to bamboo baskets (Doko) in the community. The descriptive method of research has been used for the analysis and interpretation of information. The patterns of bamboo choyas were analyzed emphasizing the structure and design of circular helix and toroidal spiral curves. It was observed that the circular helices are formed by bamboo choyas on the body part of the Doko and the toroidal spiral curve is formed by bamboo choya on the top of a Doko that is bid (upper edge) of a Doko. Findings of this study may help students understand the concept of the curve and help them explore more about the use of mathematics in daily life. In addition to this, the multidimensional use of space curves can help in further studies of geometrical patterns in cultural artifacts.

Expectations of Undergraduate Students from Teachers in Learning Mathematics

Prem Kumari Dhakal — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper aims to explore the expectations of the learners from teachers in learning mathematics in undergraduate level. This is a qualitative study and all the students of undergraduate mathematics programs of Mid-west University are the population of this study. The undergraduate program of Mid-West University is of four years with eight semesters, although the odd or even semesters run correspondingly in each six months due to the annual new admission system. Altogether twenty students (five students from each even semester) were selected purposively as the participants of this study. Open-end questions were the tool of gathering information. The questions were sent to each participant through messenger using a link of Google form. The data were analyzed thematically using six steps of thematic analysis. On the basis of the participants’ responses, it is concluded that the learners expect basic information, definitions, formula and relations before starting the new lesson in mathematics. Also, the learners expect motivation, support, basic concept as well as the opportunity to practice and discuss in the classroom to learn mathematics effectively. The findings of this study can be useful to the mathematics teachers of university level as well as the school level to teach mathematics on the basis of the learners’ expectations.

Exploring Teachers’ Experiences on the Construction and Use of Teaching Materials in Mathematics Classroom: A Narrative Inquiry

Lok Bahadur Basnet — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Teachers' experience and knowledge with the construction and use of teaching materials influences the teacher's classroom activities. This study intended to explore mathematics teacher's experience on the construction and use of teaching materials in the classrooms. This study used a narrative inquiry approach to explore the use and construction of teaching materials in mathematics teaching, focusing on the experiences of mathematics teachers from secondary schools in Dang district of Nepal. The findings suggest that the experienced mathematics teachers used only text-books and whiteboards as teaching materials. They did not use additional teaching materials in their mathematics classrooms at the beginning of their careers. Further, with the help of in-service teacher training, the research participants got the knowledge and skills to construct and use teaching materials, like the prism models, pyramids, cones, and cylinders. Furthermore, the findings also suggested that the teachers do not use these teaching materials regularly due to poor classroom management and overwork load. The findings of this study can be helpful for mathematics teachers, teacher trainers, school administrations, and policymakers for meaningful mathematics teaching and learning.

Problem of Migrant Children in the Mathematics Classroom

Kharika Devi Parajuli — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The main purpose of this paper was to explore the key problems faced by migrant children in learning mathematics in the new classroom setting. For exploring this issue, I used a qualitative research method in which I conducted in-depth interviews with a few migrant children from the marginalized community. I analyzed the information to construct themes by connecting students generated text with their experience. The finding of the study included three themes: adjustment difficulties, language barriers, and cultural devaluation. These findings may be useful to school students, teachers, and mathematics educators to foster multiple opportunities to develop respect for various cultural learning environments for students’ success in school and the classroom.

Teachers’ Professional Development Training for Their Professionalism

Mina Shrestha, Bed Raj Acharya — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Teacher Professional Development (TPD) program is a dynamic initiative dedicated to nurturing the professional growth of educators, ultimately enhancing their efficiency. This article focuses on the study and analysis of the implementation status of TPD programs in Nepal in comparison to the policy guidelines of the TPD framework 2015 and aims to improve the implementation of TPD programs for the utilization of resources. The main strength lies in investing in teachers’ training that will ultimately lead to improved teaching and learning conditions in Nepali classrooms. Although the results show that the program is well adapted for the professional development of Nepali teachers, there are many gaps in the various stages of program implementation, which could make the TPD program more effective in transferring training to the classroom. It doesn't seem to be effective in translating the TPD policies into practices. This study also paved the way for further research to improve the transfer of training to classroom practices.

Ethnomathematical Study on Cultural Artifacts: An Ethnographic Field to Classroom Practice

Jaya Bishnu Pradhan — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The implicit mathematical ideas, practices, and experiences in the everyday life of children outside the classroom could be a powerful and interesting pedagogical tool to communicate formal mathematical concepts. The main objective of this study is to explore the ethnomathematical ideas embedded in the cultural artifacts and assess their contribution to the process of teaching and learning of school mathematics. The methodological procedures include in-depth interviews and observation of students and teachers regarding mathematical ideas comprised in cultural artifacts at different moments. The mathematical knowledge hidden in the various cultural artifacts has been analyzed based on written documents, photographs, and video graphs. The findings indicated that the cultural artifacts provide an ample opportunity to understand different mathematical concepts. In addition, students have wonderful learning experiences beyond the four walls of the classroom and connect ethnomathematical ideas to conceptualize formal mathematics

Coping the Challenges While Promoting Social Justice in Mathematics Classroom

Ram Krishna Panthi — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this study is to explore the coping strategies applied by the teachers in the mathematics classroom to mitigate the challenges of social justice. I employed an interpretive inquiry for data collection, analysis and interpretation. I selected three mathematics teachers and their three students (one for each teacher) purposively from three public secondary schools in Kathmandu. I generated narratives through in-depth interviews with each participant. I conducted multiple layers of thematic analyses and interpretations of the narratives from the interviewed data. Altogether four themes -- persuasion, watching and caring, individual treatments, and grouping emerged from the analysis of the data. This study is likely to bring awareness among teachers for socially just pedagogy.

Digital Devices Used in a Secondory School: A Case Study of Access and Use in Learning Mathematics

Prabin Maharjan — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This research investigates the types of digital devices used by students at a Secondary School in Kiritpur Municipality, Nepal, and their relationship with grade level, focusing on integrating technology in teaching mathematics. The case is urban school phenomena. A survey was conducted with 420 students, using a questionnaire for data collection. Statistical tools used in analysis included univariate (frequency and percentage) and bivariate (Chi-Square) methods. Findings show that mobile devices are the most widely used for attending online classes. Around 25% of students lack access to necessary technology at least mobile too. Attendance rates vary between lower and higher grade levels. Importantly, the study reveals limited technology integration at an urban School, with teachers lacking awareness of how to effectively adapt and incorporate technologies in the classroom, specifically for mathematics teaching. These results underscore the need to improve digital device availability and the types for teaching science, mathematics like subjects, which demand dynamic, interactive tools use. Similarly, access to devices particularly at the lower secondary level is lower, and over reliance on parents' device needs reducing reliance on parental devices. Additionally, there is a call for enhanced professional development to support teachers in integrating technology into mathematics instruction. Addressing these challenges will contribute to enhancing the learning experience and overall effectiveness of technology integration in the classroom.

नेपालमा स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रमको अवधारणा, अवस्था र गणितीय विषय क्षेत्रको स्थान: एक सिंहावलोकन

राजेन्द्र Rajendra कुँवर Kunwar — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

नेपालमा स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रम समुदायको स्थानीय आवश्यकता, रुचि र सांस्कृतिक अभ्यासहरूमा आधारित भएर बनाइएको पाइन्छ । स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रम विकास विद्यालयका प्रधानाध्यापक, शिक्षक र समुदायका सदस्यहरू सम्मिलित एक सहयोगी प्रक्रिया हो । यस लेखमा स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रम विकास गर्ने प्रक्रिया, यसको विकासलाई प्रभाव पार्ने कारकहरू, सामना गर्नुपर्ने चुनौतीहरू, गणित विषय क्षेत्रको स्थान, स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रममा प्रयोग गरिने विधिहरू स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रमा गणित र स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रम अभ्यासको विष्लेशण गर्ने उद्देश्य राखिएको छ । नेपालमा स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रम विकास र कार्यान्वयन प्रक्रिया सामुदायिक आवश्यकताहरू, सरकारी नीतिहरू र उपलब्ध स्रोत साधनहरू जस्ता विभिन्न कारकहरूबाट प्रभावित छ। त्यसैगरी यसमा पाठ्यक्रम विकास प्रक्रियामा भएका विविध चुनौतीहरू र स्थानीय पाठ्यक्रमले शैक्षिक क्षेत्रमा समेट्ने महत्वपूर्ण पक्षहरूलाई समेत समावेश गर्ने प्रयत्न गरिएको छ ।