SOCIAL INTERACTION IN MATHEMATICS CLASS ROOM: A CASE STUDY OF KOKEBETSIBHA GOVERNMENTAL SECONDARY SCHOOL

SOCIAL INTERACTION IN MATHEMATICS CLASS ROOM: A CASE STUDY OF KOKEBETSIBHA GOVERNMENTAL SECONDARY SCHOOL. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON SCIENCE EDUCATION

Abstract

Social interaction in Mathematics class room

The Objective of this study was to understand the nature of mathematics class room interaction. It also aimed to find out & examine factors that influence teacher-student and student-student interactions from Social Constructivism and Symbolic Interactionism perspectives. Qualitative case study was used to carry out this study. Purposeful sampling was used to select six Mathematics teachers teaching at this school with five students. Data were gathered using qualitative methods through personal observation, interviews,& focus group discussion. The 13 Modification of Flanders‟ Interaction Analysis Technique (FIAT)was used as instrument of data analysis. The result showed that teachers talk was greater than student talk. The greater proportion of teachers talk was devoted to lecturing. This is an indication of the prevalence of one way interaction, which is a typical of traditional classes. The high percentage of TRR is because of much time devoted to accepting feelings, accepting students‟ idea & praising. On the basis of these findings, awareness should be created to teachers’, school directors and other educational personnel about the importance of class room interaction in mathematics. Besides, teacher education programs should be arranged so that they can help trainees/ teachers acquire appropriate knowledge, strategies and skills of class room interaction.

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1        Back ground of the study

Education has great importance in the social and economical development of any country. Efforts are being made worldwide to improve the quality of education and make it more effective & efficient.

Regarding the role of education in the development of an individual & in wider sense for the society, the Ethiopian Education &Training Policy (ETP), for instance, has the following to stipulate:

Education enables man to identify harmful traditions & replace them by useful one; it helps man to improve, change as well as develop and conserve his environment for the purpose of an all rounded development by diffusing science and technology in to (TGE, 1994:1).

Education undoubtedly plays a great role in developing individuals‟ capacity in problem solving & environment adaptability knowledge, ability, skill and attitude (TGE, 1994:2). As a result, the individual is then able to participate in all-rounded development sectors.

SOCIAL INTERACTION IN MATHEMATICS CLASS ROOM: A CASE STUDY OF KOKEBETSIBHA GOVERNMENTAL SECONDARY SCHOOL. A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON SCIENCE EDUCATION