Exploring systematic lesson variation : A teaching method in mathematics

Sammanfattning: The study presented in this licentiate thesis explores the student perception of systematically varied lessons, a specific lesson design and exploratory method of teaching mathematics in comprehensive school.Two 9th grade classes are taught in the curriculum defined mathematical core content sections of algebra and mathematical relationships and rate of change but by two different methods. One class is taught using a conventional textbook approach and the other with a series of systematically varied lessons; the first lesson containing instructions, lectures and individual textbook work, the second lesson containing exploratory, problem-solving worksheet tasks, same with manipulative materials, and with the third lesson containing presentation, reasoning and defending results and solutions from the second lesson. This is repeated over a four week period with three lessons a week. The classes then switch teaching methods fora second defined mathematical core content section. Both before and after applying the different teaching methods both classes perform tests for evaluation of content specific mathematical skills och answer questionnaires regarding their perception of learning. Comparisons of perceptions of the teaching methods and mathematical skills development are then evaluated. Results show minor changes of how the students perceive interest, enjoyment and anxiety, but an increased number of students that perceive stimulating learning settings during the systematically varied lesson method. Both classes show development of mathematical skills regardless of teaching methods. Results suggest influence in affective domains, as experiencing contentment, stimulating leaming settings and sense of learning increase during the systematically varied lessons method, and decrease correspondingly during the conventional method.The teaching methods, in the context of stimulating the desire to learn, and finding settings to stimulate