Supporting year 8 Islamic/Arabic students in learning algebra : implications of the realistic and authentic teaching intervention program
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2007
Closed Access
Filename | Description | Size | |||
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01Front.pdf | contents and abstract | 1.44 MB | |||
02Whole.pdf | thesis | 19.28 MB |
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NO FULL TEXT AVAILABLE. Access is restricted indefinitely. ----- Mathematics literacy among Year 8 students in Australia is considered to be at
a high level (TIMSS, 1999). However, determining equivalent equations,
translating and solving word problems, and solving complex equations remain
difficult areas for students. In particular, students who belong to cultural
minorities and have English as their. second language find these areas
challenging. The current study identified some of the factors that hinder Year 8
students with Islamic background in learning the basic foundations of algebra
and tested a teaching intervention program aimed at improving the algebraic
skills of Year 8 Arabic students in Australia.
This study presents a case study of Year 8 students in an Islamic secondary
school in New South Wales, Australia, involving 13 male language-minority
students with an Islamic background. Before the actual study, a pilot study was
conducted involving three female students with the same background. The 13
students underwent a diagnostic pre-test to the level of their skills regarding
algebra and were interviewed to evaluate their ability to solve problems and
equations and to analyse their own answers verbally. The pre-test performance
of the students in determining equivalent equations, translating and solving
word problems, and solving complex equations was not encouraging, with low
scores in all of these areas. Results showed that the students had significant
difficulties dealing with algebraic problems and were at a disadvantage
because the medium of instruction was English.
An intervention program was developed specifically addressing language,
context, attitude, background and cultural issues, as well as the identified
conceptual difficulties. Post-intervention performance showed remarkable
improvements in the students' understanding of algebraic concepts. The
intervention also gave the students more confidence in their problem solving.
The teaching program was associated with improved scores in algebra tests and
developed algebraic skills. The post-test showed that using both languages
(Arabic and English) helped the students learn and allowed them to exhibit
better performance in algebra.
The finding of the study was that algebra can only be taught and learned
successfully if the teaching takes account of students' language background
and real-life experiences and provides learning experiences that are culturally
appropriate and significant to instructors and students alike. In addition, the
study found that the teaching intervention program reduced and minimised the
language problem.
Overall, this study suggests that any teaching intervention program targeting
students in minority language groups should address language, background,
contextual, and cultural issues.
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