Abstract
Even the teachers who agree with the necessity of effective mathematical discussions find it difficult to orchestrate such discussions in the actual lessons. This study focused on analyzing the difficulties 15 elementary school teachers faced in applying "the five practices for orchestrating productive mathematics discussions" to their lessons. Specifically, this study analyzed the process of planning, implementing, and reflecting on the lessons to which three or four teachers as a teacher community applied the five practices. The results of this study showed that the teachers experienced difficulties in selecting and presenting tasks tailored to the student levels and class environment, monitoring all students' solutions, and identifying the core mathematical ideas in student solutions. In addition, this study revealed practical and specific difficulties that had not been described in the previous studies, such as writing a lesson plan for effective use, simultaneously performing multiple teacher roles, and visually sharing student presentations. This study is expected to provide practical tips for elementary school teachers who are eager to promote effective mathematical discussions and to provoke professional discourse for teacher educators through specific examples.
Figures & Tables
Figure 1. Part of the learning goals and tasks for the first lesson of Grade 5