Page 135 - Children’s mathematical development and learning needs in perspective of teachers’ use of dynamic math interviews

Effect of dynamic math interviews on mathematics teaching
the program had high quality characteristics, such as active learning, consistency and coherence, as was the case in the present study. Other research (Deunk et al., 2018) has suggested that an informed view of both children’ understanding of mathematics and their math learning needs, could contribute to adaptive mathematics teaching in the classroom. The present study found that dynamic math interviews, which were central in the intervention, are an effective way to become informed and may effect teaching behavior in elementary school classrooms, in which teachers have to meet the diverse children’s math needs.
However, results revealed no effect of the intervention on the following scales related to less complex teaching behavior: ‘Safe and stimulating learning climate’, ‘Efficient classroom management’, and ‘Clarity of instruction’. It is difficult to interpret why. Teachers may have shifted their focus to more advanced aspects of mathematics teaching as a result of insights and experiences acquired during dynamic math interviews.
Secondly, effects were also found on teachers’ perceived mathematics teaching self-efficacy and mathematical knowledge for teaching. This was in line with our hypothesis. The information obtained during dynamic math interviews benefitted teacher factors regarding mathematics teaching. This parallels the results of another study (Carney et al., 2016) in which a teacher professional development program focused on children’s thinking, problem-solving and content knowledge specific to mathematics lead to an increase in teachers’ mathematics teaching self-efficacy and mathematical knowledge for teaching. Previous research had shown that teachers with high mathematics teaching self-efficacy and mathematical knowledge for teaching better prepare and adapt their mathematics lessons (Chang, 2015; Hill et al., 2008; Nurlu, 2015). In the present study, the increase of teachers’ perceived mathematics teaching self-efficacy and mathematical knowledge for teaching resulting from the intervention appeared to positively affect to the professional development and practice period.
Therefore, the results of the present study support the notion that the interaction between actual mathematics teaching behavior
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