The mathematics textbook is one of the most important resources for teaching and

learning mathematics. Whereas a number of studies have examined the use of mathematics
textbooks by teachers there is a dearth of research into the use ofmathematics textbooks by students

Math helps us have better problem-solving skills.

Math helps us think analytically and have better reasoning abilities. Analytical thinking refers to the
ability to think critically about the world around us

One of the examined issues is the role ofmathematics textbooks while the students are learning new
content in the classroom. ... They prepare new content for teaching mainly according to
the textbook and try to use the same language used in the textbook.

For the learners the textbook is one of the most important sources of contact they have with the
language. It is a framework or guidethat helps them to organize their learning. It ishelpful to involve
students in the process of adapting textbooks

Math is a very abstract subject. For students, learning usually happens best when they can relate it to
real life. As math becomes more advanced and challenging, that can be difficultto do. As a result,
many students find themselves needing to work harder and practice longer to understand more
abstractmath concepts.

Peer pressure is another reason why students fail in mathematics. They are unable to cope up with the
pressure to perform at school. ... Eventually, the student's ability to perform well in mathematics is
hampered forever. Studentsmight not voice out but in reality, they are very scared of the subject.

Reason to learn math in school #3: because your mind needs to think that way. ... Because whether you
can or cannot do differential calculus may not matter for your career, but your ability to reason in
a mathematical way is vital. Math trains you to think effectively. Andwe all need to learn to think
effectively
Math is a very abstract subject. For students, learning usually happens best when they can relate it to
real life. As math becomes more advanced and challenging, that can be difficult to do. As a result, many
students find themselves needing to work harder and practice longer to understand more abstract math
concepts.

https://www.courses.com.ph/senior-high-school-core-subject-general-mathematics/

https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-
vivo&ei=uo9BXdaSFYisoASGobSYCA&q=general+mathematics&oq=general+m&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-
serp.1.1.0i67j0i20i263j0i67j0j0i131l2j0j0i20i263.184844.186983..188398...1.0..0.177.1453.0j9......0....1...
....8..0i71j35i39j0i131i67j46i67j46i131j46.h3Xxe4SmAJ0

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1949-8594.1964.tb16981.x

learn·ing

/ˈlərniNG/

Learn to pronounce

noun

the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.

"these children experienced difficulties in learning"

synonyms: study, studying, education, schooling, tuition, teaching, academic work, instruction,
training; More

knowledge acquired through experience, study, or being taught.

https://www.google.com/search?q=define+learning&oq=define+learning&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.5723j
0j4&client=ms-android-vivo&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/textbook
textbook noun

text·book | \ ˈteks(t)-ˌbu̇ k \

Definition of textbook (Entry 1 of 2)

: a book used in the study of a subject: such as

a : one containing a presentation of the principles of a subject

b : a literary work relevant to the study of a subject

https://www.google.com/search?q=define+students&oq=define+students&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.4908
j0j4&client=ms-android-vivo&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

stu·dent

͞
/ˈst(y)oodnt/

Learn to pronounce

noun

plural noun: students

a person who is studying at a school or college.

synonyms: undergraduate, postgraduate, scholar, tutee; More

denoting someone who is studying in order to enter a particular profession.

modifier noun: student

"a group of student nurses"

synonyms: trainee, apprentice, probationer, recruit, novice, learner, mentee, beginner; More

a person who takes an interest in a particular subject.

"a student of the free market9

Volume 59, December 2018, Pages 133-140

Does the textbook matter? Longitudinal effects of textbook choice on primary school students’
achievement in mathematics

Author links open overlay panelAnn-Katrinvan den HamAisoHeinze

Show more

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2018.07.005Get rights and content

Under a Creative Commons license

open access

Highlights

Textbooks have a substantial impact on mathematics achievement in primary school.

Textbooks notably differ in their effects on student achievement.

Longitudinal effects of textbooks on student achievement seem to be cumulative.

•

Textbooks might be a relevant covariate when analyzing intervention effects.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191491X18301007

Teaching From a Textbook Makes My Class More Student-Centered

By John T. McCrann July 29, 2017

Most of my memories from middle and high school math involve using a textbook: "Turn to page 237
and complete problems 2-20 even."

This was not a particularly engaging or empowering way for me to learn math.

Of course, it did work. I (mostly) did my classwork and homework, progressing chapter by chapter
through Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus.

I did have one alternative model. My senior year I took calculus with a teacher, Ms. Lee, who generated
most of our class handouts herself. The problems felt tailored to us (sometimes even including names of
classmates with little details about our lives: "John was pitching in the game against Leesville High
School...."). I remember feeling much more connected to the class because of this.

I started out my own career trying to emulate Ms. Lee. "I know my students and what they need to learn
better than some textbook publisher who is just trying to profit of our kids!"
Yet, I quickly encountered the problem with this way of planning math curriculum: it's hard and takes a
ton of time. Developing all those problems, tailoring them to my students, creating mathematical
situations that address the ideas I want students to be thinking about without introducing a trick that
would make things overly complicated.

Even if I believe that teacher-created materials are the ideal learning resources, the job of teacher
(as traditionally understood in the schools and systems I've worked in) does not give us the time and
space necessary to do this work well.

So, this past year I abandoned Ms. Lee's model. Our progressive small school that believes in teacher
professionalism and teacher empowerment adopted textbooks that we expect all math teachers to use
in their classes every day. (We adopted the CPM Educational Program , a progressive curriculum which I
highly recommend).

As a teacher and teacher-leader (I'm the department chair and made this policy with administration), I
felt and feel ambivalent about this choice. But after a year of working with my students and our team, I
believe that it was the right one.

I've learned how to leverage my understanding of my students WHILE implementing a curriculum

designed by someone else.

My high school math textbooks felt like a barrier preventing me from connecting with the teacher and
discipline, but I think I have found a way to use the CPM resources to forge deeper relationships with my
students.

Instead of spending my prep periods developing different types of linear equations (some with integer
solutions, others that include decimals and fractions, etc), this fall I will spend it looking at a set of linear
equations and thinking about Brandon, Laura, Deshawn, and the other individuals in my class. Where
will they get tripped up? How can I group them together so that they can have productive conversations
about the different ways they could attack each equation? What system should I put in place to make
sure students who get stuck can find a way out without having to call me over to the group?
Grappling with these questions is a better use of my limited planning time and leads me to develop
pedagogical moves to support students' mathematical thinking which I would not have had the
time/energy to develop without the text.

Where do you and your colleagues fall on the decision to use teacher-developed vs outsider-developed
classroom resources? What are some of the costs and benefits that you all weighed in making the
decision that works for you? Regardless of the decision you have made, how do you ensure that
teachers have time to think deeply about curriculum materials AND their students?

Photo by FelixMIttermeier.

https://mobile.edweek.org/c.jsp?cid=25920011&item=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.edweek.org%2Fv1%2Fblogs
%2F183%2F%3Fuuid%3D73164

scientiasocialis.lt

THE ROLE AND ASSESSMENT OF TEXTBOOKS IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION.

Soňa Čeretková, Ondrej Šedivý, Josef Molnár, Dalibor Petr

Problems of Education in the 21st Century 6, 2008

Authors of the article are experienced authors of mathematics textbooks for upper primary schools
(Slovaks) and lower and upper primary schools (Czechs). Both textbooks are used in everyday school
practice and are very popular in their countries. The article presents general ideas and authors
experience about:• school curriculum and standards and their influence on maths textbooks content,•
competencies of pupils and their teachers in mathematics and the place of competencies in textbooks,•
problem solving and maths textbooks
• concept maps in mathematics and mathematics textbooks,• main principles and examples of maths
textbooks assessment,• textbook research,• requirements set upon mathematics textbooks,• different
conceptions of creation maths textbooks. Some ideas how to prepare math textbooks and suplement
materials innovation using ICT and internet is also mentioned in the article.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?client=ms-android-vivo&um=1&ie=UTF-
8&lr&q=related:GVQhf6uhSrrYMM:scholar.google.com/#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3DGVQhf6uhSroJ

A STUDY ON MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ USE OF TEXBOOKS IN INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS Meriç

Özgeldi1, Erdinç Çakıroğlu2 1Mersin University, 2Middle East Technical University This paper provides
an analysis of mathematics teachers’ use of curriculum materials. 13 elementary mathematics
teachers participated in the interviews for how they used the curriculum materials, specifically
textbooks. The purpose of this study is to examine what mathematics teachers do with curriculum
materials and how they use them for mathematics. The results of the interviews indicated that
mathematics teachers used different textbooks to make instructional decisions, and they mostly
adapted problems and examples in a constructive way. INTRODUCTION One crucial role teachers play
in the school context is to transform and implement curricular ideas in classrooms. In their
implementation processes, they often benefit from different types of curriculum materials, including
textbook and other written resources. Curriculum materials are an integral part of teachers’ daily work
and offer ongoing support for pedagogy and subject matter content throughout an entire school year
(Collopy, 2003). They provide ideas and practices which frame classroom activity via text and
diagrammatic representations and help teachers in achieving goals that they presumably could not or
would not accomplish on their own (Brown, 2009). Certainly, the written curriculum materials such as
the textbook, worksheet, and teachers’ guide are mostly used curriculum materials in the school
context. Particularly, textbook is one of the widely used and trusted curriculum materials that are
directly related to teacher’s teaching and student’s learning (Beaton, Mullis, Martin, Gonzalez, Kelly, &
Smith, 1996). Although the term ‘curriculum materials’ have a general meaning involving a variety of
resources, the current study focused on mathematics textbooks and accompanying student workbooks,
teacher guidebooks, and other written resources that are available to teachers. In general, the
mathematics curriculum materials such as textbooks, texts, computer software, and geoboards are built
into mathematical and instructional intentions and possibilities for school mathematics (Adler, 2000).
Mathematics curriculum materials have been viewed as a critical resource for students’ learning of
mathematical content and teachers’ mathematical instructional decisions; and

teachers are accustomed to using them to guide instruction (Stein & Kim, 2009). In this sense,
mathematics textbook is used “as source of problem and exercises, as reference book, and as a teacher
in themselves” (Howson, 1995, p.25) because teachers often rely heavily on textbooks for many
decisions such as what to teach, how to teach it, what kinds of tasks and exercises to assign to their
students (Robitaille & Travers, 1992). It is reasonable to argue, therefore, mathematics textbook is an
important part of mathematics learning and teaching context in which students and teachers work.
Studies over 25 years on characterizing and studying how curriculum is actualized in schools addressed
the teachers’ interactions with curriculum materials and the role of the curriculum materials. The
critical point for understanding the curriculum use depends on the process of understanding what
teachers do with mathematics curriculum materials and why as well as how their choices
influence classroom environment (Remillard, 2009). Their value is likely to depend on the ways they
are used (Cohen, Raudenbush, & Ball, 2003). In this sense, understanding the use of textbooks and
other relevant written resources by teachers plays an important role in exploring the pedagogies
used in the classroom. Research has shown that when teachers interact with curriculum materials, they
do so in dynamic and constructive ways rather than a straightforward process (Brown, 2002; Davis
&Krajcik, 2005; Remillard, 2005). Teachers frequently make changes in the curriculum intentions and
modify them according to the structure and the purpose of lessons. In doing so, the availability,
quality, and flexibility of the curriculum materials plays a critical role in teachers’ decisions. In general,
teachers transform the curriculum ideas, lesson plans, and mathematical tasks into real classroom
(Remillard, 2005). Therefore, understanding the teachers’ interactions with curriculum materials
requires an integrated analysis of their uses in the classroom teaching and learning context. For
example, Brown (2009) has revealed a way of interaction between teacher and curriculum materials
which involves multiple steps. According to this interaction, teachers first select materials;
however the selection is often decided by others. Second, they interpret these materials in
planning and during instruction with regard to their perception of materials. Third, they reconcile
their perceptions of the intended plan with their own goals and with the limitations of the setting.
Fourth, they accommodate the students’ interests, experiences, and limitations. Finally, they
modify the setting according to their own decisions and to their students’ capacities. In fact,
these steps proposed by Brown partly reflect the dynamic and constructive relationship between
teachers and textbooks. In sum, understanding teachers’ use of textbooks and other relevant
curriculum materials provides insight into the contribution of such materials into the classroom

learning. In this context, the purpose of this study was on what curriculum materials-specifically
the textbooks- are crucial to mathematics teachers, and how they utilize them for mathematics. The
specific research problems addressed in this study are the following: • What are the uses of written
curriculum materials (mathematics textbooks and accompanying student workbooks, teacher
guidebooks, and other written resources) in classroom mathematics by the middle grades
mathematics teachers? • For what reasons and purposes do

Examining key concepts in research on teachers’ use of mathematics curricula

Janine T Remillard
Review of educational research 75 (2), 211-246, 2005

Studies of teachers’ use of mathematics curriculum materials are particularly timely given the current
availability of reform-inspired curriculum materials and the increasingly widespread practice of
mandating the use of a single curriculum to regulate mathematics teaching. A review of the research on
mathematics curriculum use over the last 25 years reveals significant variation in findings and in
theoretical foundations. The aim of this review is to examine the ways that central constructs of this
body of research—such as curriculum use, teaching, and curriculum materials—are conceptualized and
to consider the impact of various conceptualizations on knowledge in the field. Drawing on the
literature, the author offers a framework for characterizing and studying teachers’ interactions with
curriculum materials.

View at journals.sagepub.com

[PDF] researchgate.netCited by 1194Related articlesAll 10 versions

link.springer.com

Textbook research in mathematics education: development status and directions

Lianghuo Fan, Yan Zhu, Zhenzhen Miao

ZDM 45 (5), 633-646, 2013

This paper presents a survey study aiming to systematically examine, analyse and review relevant
research focusing on mathematics textbooks and hence identify future directions in this field of
research. The literature surveyed is selected from different data sources, including mainly journal
articles, research theses and conference proceedings. The survey revealed that important progress has
been made over the last few decades in mathematics textbook research, though the major achievement
has been concentrated in the areas of textbook analysis (including textbook comparison), and the use of
textbooks in teaching and learning. It is overall no longer true that the textbook research in mathematics
is “scattered, inconclusive, and often trivial” as described six decades ago; however, the development of
research on mathematics textbooks has been unbalanced in different areas. Following the review and
discussion, the paper proposes five needed directions for advancing the research in this field.

https://scholar.google.com.ph/scholar?q=related+literature+about+using+textbooks+in+mathematics&
hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p%3D_hSK9UnIlMYJ

Mathematics teachers' self-reported practices of textbook use were investigated by a survey of more
than 400 teachers in Estonia, Finland and Norway. Do they have different approaches in their use of
textbooks and to what extent do they rely on textbooks in planning and preparing their lessons? What
kinds of patterns characterize teachers' practice when using textbooks in mathematics lessons? The
answers to these questions indicate that in Estonia and Finland teachers have similar attitudes towards
textbooks. They are responsible for the choice of book and the textbook has a strong effect on their
didactical choices. In Norway the teachers are less dependent on the textbook. In Finland the textbook is
the crucial resource for exercises while in Estonia and Norway teachers use other resources more often.
The study reveals the limited use of the full potential of the textbook. Almost 45 % of the teachers use
the textbook simply as an exercise book. As a result the pupils do not get the opportunity to fully exploit
the book as a multifaceted learning resource.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286232223_Using_textbooks_in_the_mathematics_classroo
m_-_the_teachers'_view

One of the examined issues is the role ofmathematics textbooks while the students are learning new
content in the classroom. ... They prepare new content for teaching mainly according to
the textbook and try to use the same language used in the textbook.

math.nie.edu.sg › tme › tmeV16_2

The Role of Mathematics Textbooks in Lower Secondary Education ...

The mathematics textbook is one of the most important resources for teaching and
learningmathematics. Whereas a number of studies have examined the use of mathematics
textbooks by teachers there is a dearth of research into the use of mathematics textbooks by students.

https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-
vivo&ei=y5FBXZ8fjvXAA4nmpyA&q=related+studies+about+using+textbook+in+teaching+math&oq=rela
ted+studies+about+using+textbook+in+teaching+math&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-
serp.3..33i22i29i30.8108.27096..27692...5.0..4.1063.11120.0j50j3j0j1j0j1j1......0....1.......8..0i71j35i39j46i
131j0i67j0j46j0i131i20i263j0i131i67j0i20i263j0i131j0i22i30j33i160j33i21j33i13i21._p5qDeaV21c

A STUDY ON MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ USE OF

TEXBOOKS IN INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS

Meriç Özgeldi

, Erdinç Çakıroğlu

Mersin University,

2
Middle East Technical University

This paper provides an analysis of mathematics teachers’ use of curriculum

materials. 13 elementary mathematics teachers participated in the interviews for

how they used the curriculum materials, specifically textbooks. The purpose of this

study is to examine what mathematics teachers do with curriculum materials and

how they use them for mathematics. The results of the interviews indicated that

mathematics teachers used different textbooks to make instructional decisions, and

they mostly adapted problems and examples in a constructive way.

INTRODUCTION

One crucial role teachers play in the school context is to transform and implement

curricular ideas in classrooms. In their implementation processes, they often benefit

from different types of curriculum materials, including textbook and other written
resources. Curriculum materials are an integral part of teachers’ daily work and

offer ongoing support for pedagogy and subject matter content throughout an entire

school year (Collopy, 2003). They provide ideas and practices which frame

classroom activity via text and diagrammatic representations and help teachers in

achieving goals that they presumably could not or would not accomplish on their

own (Brown, 2009). Certainly, the written curriculum materials such as the

textbook, worksheet, and teachers’ guide are mostly used curriculum materials in

the school context. Particularly, textbook is one of the widely used and trusted

curriculum materials that are directly related to teacher’s teaching and student’s

learning (Beaton, Mullis, Martin, Gonzalez, Kelly, & Smith, 1996). Although the

term ‘curriculum materials’ have a general meaning involving a variety of

resources, the current study focused on mathematics textbooks and accompanying

student workbooks, teacher guidebooks, and other written resources that are
available to teachers.

In general, the mathematics curriculum materials such as textbooks, texts, computer

software, and geoboards are built into mathematical and instructional intentions and

possibilities for school mathematics (Adler, 2000). Mathematics curriculum

materials have been viewed as a critical resource for students’ learning of

mathematical content and teachers’ mathematical instructional decisions; and

teachers are accustomed to using them to guide instruction (Stein & Kim, 2009). In

this sense, mathematics textbook is used “as source of problem and exercises, as

reference book, and as a teacher in themselves” (Howson, 1995, p.25) because

teachers often rely heavily on textbooks for many decisions such as what to teach,

how to teach it, what kinds of tasks and exercises to assign to their students

(Robitaille & Travers, 1992). It is reasonable to argue, therefore, mathematics

textbook is an important part of mathematics learning and teaching context in

which students and teachers work.

Studies over 25 years on characterizing and studying how curriculum is actualized

in schools addressed the teachers’ interactions with curriculum materials and the

role of the curriculum materials. The critical point for understanding the curriculum

use depends on the process of understanding what teachers do with mathematics

curriculum materials and why as well as how their choices influence classroom

environment (Remillard, 2009). Their value is likely to depend on the ways they

are used (Cohen, Raudenbush, & Ball, 2003). In this sense, understanding the use

of textbooks and other relevant written resources by teachers plays an important

role in exploring the pedagogies used in the classroom.

Research has shown that when teachers interact with curriculum materials, they do

so in dynamic and constructive ways rather than a straightforward process (Brown,

2002; Davis &Krajcik, 2005; Remillard, 2005). Teachers frequently make changes

in the curriculum intentions and modify them according to the structure and the

purpose of lessons. In doing so, the availability, quality, and flexibility of the

curriculum materials plays a critical role in teachers’ decisions. In general, teachers

transform the curriculum ideas, lesson plans, and mathematical tasks into real

classroom (Remillard, 2005). Therefore, understanding the teachers’ interactions

with curriculum materials requires an integrated analysis of their uses in the

classroom teaching and learning context. For example, Brown (2009) has revealed

a way of interaction between teacher and curriculum materials which involves

multiple steps. According to this interaction, teachers first select materials;

however the selection is often decided by others. Second, they interpret these

materials in planning and during instruction with regard to their perception of

materials. Third, they reconcile their perceptions of the intended plan with their

own goals and with the limitations of the setting. Fourth, they accommodate the

students’ interests, experiences, and limitations. Finally, they modify the setting

according to their own decisions and to their students’ capacities. In fact, these

steps proposed

Research in tertiary mathematics education is a fast growing field as evidenced by the success of the
Topic Study Group on Mathematics Education at Tertiary Level in the International Congress on
Mathematical Education (ICME); the continued success of the Research in Undergraduate Mathematics
Education conference in the United States (RUME), now at its 19th annual conference; the university
mathematics research contribution to the Espace Mathématique Francophone (EMF) since 2006; and
since 2011 the working group on University Mathematics Education in the Congress of European
Research in Mathematics Education (CERME) conference. In 2015 the Australian Mathematical Society
established a Special Interest Group in Mathematics Education, which has among its goals the
promotion of inquiry and discussion about tertiary mathematics education. Additionally, the first
conference of the International Network for Didactic Research in University Mathematics (INDRUM)
launched in Montpellier, France in March 2016. Furthermore, in 2015 the new International Journal of
Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education published its first issue and as we write these lines
the following three handbook chapters will appear: Post-calculus research in undergraduate
mathematics education (Rasmussen and Wawro in press), Understanding the concepts of calculus:
Frameworks and roadmaps emerging from educational research (Larsen et al. in press) and Tertiary
mathematics education research in Australasia (Coupland et al. 2016, in press).

The literature review we offer here contributes to the three aforementioned handbook chapters with
additional literature, mainly from research outcomes published since 2014. Moreover, to not repeat and
to emphasize the most recent advances not captured in the handbook chapters we include results
disseminated in conferences since 2014 as indicators of the current trends of the field. We were
judicious in our choices of which conference papers to include, using only those that, in our view, were
of high quality.
2 Survey and State-of-the-Art

The five emergent areas of interest we identified and reviewed are mathematics teaching at the tertiary
level; the role of mathematics in other disciplines; textbooks, assessment and students’ studying
practices; transition to the tertiary level; and theoretical-methodological advances. We conclude with a
summary on the literature we reviewed and with suggestions for ways forward. Due to the space
limitations we have included publications related to student learning of specific mathematical topics
(e.g., Calculus, Linear Algebra, etc.), proof and reasoning, statistics education and mathematics teacher
education, which are more relevant to other topic study groups at ICME13, only if their input goes
beyond these topics and contributes to our understanding of one of the five emergent areas of interest.

2.1 Mathematics Teaching at the Tertiary Level

Six years after the observation of Speer et al. (2010) on the existence of very little empirical research on
actual teaching practices at university level, we are now in the pleasant position to report ongoing
growth and interest in this area. This section explores new work on tertiary mathematics teaching,
focusing on the themes of: mathematics teaching practices; the influence of teachers’ perspectives,
background and research practices on their mathematics teaching; resources and preparation for
teaching and teachers’ professional development; and alternative approaches to teaching. In this
section teaching takes place at the tertiary level. The domains of teaching at secondary level and
secondary school teacher preparation, which is under the prevue of different ICME13 Topic Study
Groups, is beyond the scope of this survey.

2.1.1 Mathematics Teaching Practices at the Tertiary Level

In this section we discuss mathematics teaching practices at the tertiary level with specific emphasis on
three recent foci: communication of mathematical ideas, mathematics teaching activity in relation to its
goals and intentions, and characteristics of university mathematics teaching.

Communication of mathematical ideas has been the focus of several recent studies that consider
mathematical teaching as a communication act with attention on mathematical and pedagogical
discourses, including gestures. From this perspective, Viirman (2014, 2015) sees university mathematics
teaching as a highly situated discursive practice. Through the lens of Sfard’s Commognitive framework
(2008) he studied the discursive teaching practices of seven mathematics teachers on the topic of
functions. In Viirman (2014) he focuses on the mathematical discourse and offers a categorization of the
construction and substantiation routines used by the teachers. Later, in Viirman (2015), a more refined
analysis indicates that, although teachers’ mathematical discourse has similarities to each other
regarding the word use and visual mediators, their didactical discourse has different routines. The
routines of participants’ didactical discourse were categorized as explanation, motivation, and question
posing routines. Within these general categories, a number of different sub-categories of routines were
found, each used in different ways and to different extent by different teachers. According to Viirman
(2015) this classification of routines, although not meant to be complete and developed in only a single
content context, can also be useful in the investigation of teaching other mathematical topics.

A discursive approach was also used by Park (2015) in the analysis of the teaching of derivative in
calculus courses. The study analyzes features of three teachers’ classroom discourse on the derivative in
relation to word uses, gestures and the use of different visual mediators (symbolic, algebraic, and
graphical), emphasizing the connection between graphical and symbolic representations, and the
transitions between a point-specific and an interval view of the derivative. The results indicate that the
use of words and visuals were consistently reflected in teachers’ routines and endorsed narratives.
Moreover, these three teachers seem to assume that a point-specific and an interval view of the
derivative are clear to their students without making explicit reference to them, although they were in
their endorsed narratives. This indicates a disconnection “between the endorsed narrative of the
teacher and the students’ abilities to comprehend what the teacher is saying” (ibid p. 248).

Continuing with how university mathematics teachers communicate mathematical ideas, Weinberg et
al. (2015) describe teachers’ gestures and how these contribute to opportunities to communicate
mathematical ideas in an abstract algebra lecture. Gestures, and specifically teacher use of the hand and
fingers to point during undergraduate mathematics lectures, is the focus of a study from Hare and
Sinclair (2015), who observed a teacher in a third-year Group Theory lecture. Results suggest that
pointing seems to act as a significant interface between speech and written text on the board. The
authors argue that gestures are important components of communication as they bring “mathematical
objects into being,” relate “these objects to each other,” and connect “the spoken with the written and
drawn” (p. 33).