Enhanced Interactivity in Secondary Mathematics

The Background To Interactive Learning In Mathematics

There are two levels to our understanding of the incorporation of interactive learning in mathematics teaching. These are the learning context within which IWB use is to occur and then the practical level concerned with the way in which IWB use can support interactive learning. The context is concerned with the socio-psychological basis of mathematical learning. The starting point is Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of social constructivism which argues that effective learning occurs in those situations where there is interaction between teacher and taught, or between students, so that the problem is commonly understood and the solution collaboratively determined. Tinzmann et al. (1990) extend this notion to the organization of collaborative classrooms and point to the need for teacher and students to share the knowledge, and more importantly, the authority underpinning learning. This requires teacher understanding of the process of facilitation and support, and leads, perhaps more contentiously to the view that diverse groupings of students are more effective in promoting individual development through the use of modeling responses. Ernest (1994) urges that there is a need for the human face of mathematical learning and stresses the requirement for dialogic intercourse as the basis of enjoyment and hence, learning. Taylor (1996) extends this to argue that the context within which mathematical learning occurs must promote such interactions so that learning is targeted at conceptual change. Schussler et al. (2007) relate this concept of interactivity into classroom management contexts. They offer a model called: