The Mathematics classroom: assessment of teachers’ practices

Abstract

This article presents a profile of teaching practices in mathematics based on data obtained through a self-administered questionnaire applied to a sample of elementary school teachers from public and private schools in Rio de Janeiro. Likert-type matrices were constructed developed and validated in order to ask teachers to situate themselves with regards to teaching approaches, class organization, and the procedures used to formally evaluate students. A non-parametric, quantitative analysis was performed to assess the responses. The model used to measure the responses to teaching practices in mathematics identified five distinct ranges, all displaying significant statistical values. Key words: Teaching Practices. Teaching of Mathematics. Questioning. Matrices. Assessment.