Exploring Teaching Performance and Students’ Learning Effects by Two Elementary Indigenous Teachers Implementing Culture-Based Mathematics Instruction

Wei-Min Hsu, Chih-Lung Lin, Huey-Lien Kao

Department of Computer Science, National Pingtung University of Education, Pingtung, Taiwan, China.
Graduate Institute of Mathematics and Science Education, National Pingtung University of Education, Pingtung, Taiwan, China.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2013.410095                

Abstract

This study aims to probe into the teaching performance and the effects of implementation of culture-based mathematics instruction by two indigenous teachers. By case study, this study treats two Paiwan elementary school teachers as the subjects and collects data by the design of teaching plans, instructional observations, video recordings, and mathematical cognitive tests. The researcher thus explores their culture-based curriculum design, instructional implementation, and the effect on Grade 5 and Grade 6 Paiwan students’ learning performance of mathematics. The findings demonstrate that prior to implementation of culturebased mathematics instruction, mathematics learning performance of the students of the two teachers was behind those of other counties, cities, and schools. The two teachers adopt three types of instructional design, namely, Paiwan culture and festivals, stories and traditional art, and practice mathematics questions upon cultural situations by teacher demonstration, individual problem-solving, and group discussion. After the teachers practice 23 and 31 units of culture-based mathematics instruction, the researcher finds that the gap of learning performance between Paiwan students and those in other cities, counties, and schools is reduced, which demonstrates that culture-based mathematics instruction can enhance Paiwan students’ learning performance of mathematics.

Keywords

Culture-Based; Indigenous Students; Mathematics Instruction; Paiwan

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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