Students abilities on the relationship between beliefs and practices

Abstract

Most studies that deal with possible influences of the social context related to students’ abilities on the connection between beliefs and practices involve only a small number of participants (e.g., 1 – 3 teachers). Thus, we have designed a new quantitative questionnaire (named TBTP) which is intended to examine these influences for a larger number of teachers (here: N = 43). Then, for a further qualitative investigation, we interviewed and observed lessons of three of those teachers. The results show that the 43 teachers distinguish their style of teaching in different contexts of students’ abilities. The correlation between beliefs about mathematics and the styles of teaching can be seen in the context of low ability students rather than in the context of high ability students. In further investigation, this correlation is supported by the three teachers’ descriptions of their general teaching of mathematics and their real practices in classes containing many low ability students.