Making things explicit using instructional materials: a case study of a Singapore teacher’s practice

The phrase ‘make it explicit’ is a common advice given to teachers. It is, however, not clear to us what this actually means when translated into classroom practice. Our review found that we are not alone: “explicit” is used in different ways in the education literature. This paper explores, through...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mathematics education research journal 2019-03, Vol.31 (1), p.47-66
Main Authors: Leong, Yew Hoong, Cheng, Lu Pien, Toh, Wei Yeng Karen, Kaur, Berinderjeet, Toh, Tin Lam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Studies
Education
Educational materials
Foreign Countries
Instructional Materials
Mathematics Education
Mathematics Instruction
Original Article
Teacher Attitudes
Teachers
Teaching Methods
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Summary:The phrase ‘make it explicit’ is a common advice given to teachers. It is, however, not clear to us what this actually means when translated into classroom practice. Our review found that we are not alone: “explicit” is used in different ways in the education literature. This paper explores, through a case study of a teacher who stated “making things explicit” as an ostensible goal of his instructional practice, how the explicitation is realised in teaching mathematics. In particular, we examine how he used the instructional materials that he crafted to fulfil his goal of explicitation. We were able to uncover three strategies he used: explicit-from, explicit-within, and explicit-to.
ISSN:1033-2170
2211-050X
DOI:10.1007/s13394-018-0240-z