Page 155 - Children’s mathematical development and learning needs in perspective of teachers’ use of dynamic math interviews

Dynamic math interviews to identify children’s math learning needs
session), eight researchers (one validation session) and a mathematics teaching expert with a university master’s degree in special education (one validation session) coded transcripts with concepts from the tentative analytic framework. Following each validation session, the analytic framework and accompanying manual were adjusted and refined. Several codes, for example, were added to identify the types of questions posed by the teachers and the type of support provided. Directions for the coding of the questions posed by the teachers were made more specific and refined. We also added coding of the adequacy of teacher responding to children to the analytic framework.
The first author coded all of the transcribed dynamic math interviews. An additional mathematics teaching expert with a Master’s degree in special education but blind to the aims and design of the present study coded a random selection of six transcripts using the analytic framework. The inter-rater reliability for the scoring of the six transcripts was found to be good with a consensus norm of 81% agreement.
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1. Ratio open to closed questions posed by teacher. Open questions are assumed to elicit greater information and therefore preferred over closed questions. At the start of the dynamic math interview, closed questions may nevertheless be more suitable for the purpose to establish trust or to check the teacher has understood the child correctly. By asking in-depth questions, the teacher can gain more information or clarity. The proportion open questions should be higher than the proportion closed questions.
2. Questions focused on child’s math experiences, beliefs, and emotions. With the intention of a wide scope for the dynamic math interview, the teacher can also ask questions addressing child’s math experiences, beliefs, and emotions. The percentage of the total number of posed questions focused on this aspect should be more than 20% of all questions of the dynamic math interview to be judged adequate.
3. Questions focused on child’s thinking and problem-solving processes. These questions help gain insight into what the child understands and does not understand. The teacher can obtain an explanation for why the child does not understand things or cannot complete the problem correctly. The percentage of the total number of questions posed is calculated and should be higher than the percentage product-directed questions (aspect 4).
4. Questions to check the child knows the right answer. With these questions the teacher can gain information about mathematics achievement levels and mastery of skills. The attainment of process information as opposed to product (i.e., outcome) information should nevertheless prevail for the dynamic math interview to have added value near standardized tests. The percentage of the total number of questions posed is counted.
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