What is your dissertation research project about?
I have been busy researching the effects of mathematical vocabulary on students’ performance in schools. Mathematics, being a separate discipline from language, comes with its fair share of vocabulary, some of which involves the use of some words which have a different meaning in an ordinary language such as the word differentiate which means to ‘calculate the derivative’ in mathematics but means ‘to distinguish’ in ordinary language. Mathematical vocabulary also comes in the form of mathematical jargon not used in an ordinary language such as Cartesian plane or hyperbola, words which may prove difficult to understand to mathematics students thus hindering their ability to comprehend the basic mathematical concepts.
I contend that it would be necessary to first introduce mathematical vocabulary to students then introduce the arithmetic aspect of mathematics later. This will make it easier for students who perceive mathematics as being difficult to understand the concepts better when they approach the arithmetic aspect having come across the vocabulary. This will also help them improve their attitude towards mathematics.
Several methods have been developed in the attempt to teach mathematical vocabulary to students. They include the use of art which students can remember, explanation of origins of words, stories of invention of methodology, stories that involve mathematical vocabulary and calculations, and the use of games that involve calculations.
In this research, I will review critically these methods and determine the effectiveness of each method in improving the ability of students to understand the vocabulary and the overall result on an understanding of mathematical concepts. I will then give recommendations on the best method or mix of methods to use to achieve the intended objectives.
Why is that important?
Mathematics is perceived as being a conceptual subject. As such, most teachers do not teach mathematical vocabulary before introducing the basic concepts. This leads to a tendency of introducing mathematical concepts to students who may not understand the underlying definitions of the words used in mathematics. This indeed impairs the ability of students to understand the basic mathematical concepts which naturally causes them to have a negative attitude towards mathematics, with a general perception that it is a subject or discipline which is very difficult to comprehend.
This research will provide an insight into the idea of introducing a mathematical vocabulary to students before the introduction of the basic mathematical concept. The research will also focus on the various methods used in the achievement of the objective of instilling mathematical knowledge in students in an easier manner and recommend the best method to use.
The results of this study will be beneficial to the educational fraternity as a whole as it will add to the growing body of knowledge on the concept of mathematical vocabulary. More specifically, it will be beneficial to teachers as they will be able to appreciate the need for the introduction of mathematical vocabulary to students and its advantages in improving the understandability of underlying concepts. Teachers will also be able to determine the best method or mix of methods to use to teach mathematical vocabulary, based on a well-researched paper done using a scientifically supported methodology which I will be focusing on.
The research will also benefit government educational agencies and educational institutions to appreciate the need for mathematical vocabulary and come up with ways to incorporate it into the curriculum.
How will you do that?
I will begin by giving a background of the concept of mathematical vocabulary and then conduct a review of literature on the topic, followed by an explanation of the methodology to be used in the research. I will then collect my data by surveying all senior students in the science department. I will divide them into groups and introduce to them the mathematical vocabulary they are not initially familiar with using the various methods of teaching mathematical vocabulary. I will then introduce the concept later. I will give each individual a two-part questionnaire with part one having mathematical calculations for the students to complete and part two having a section for explanations of processes used for the students to fill. The first part will be used to determine the level of understanding of the student in the arithmetic aspect and general understanding of mathematical concepts. The second part will be used to determine the level of understanding of the student in mathematical vocabulary, where they will explain the process they used to arrive at the answers in the first part. Each part will have a score.
I will then apply statistical methods to analyze the scores of students in each group and determine the relationship between the level of understanding of mathematical vocabulary and the understanding of various mathematical concepts using each method. Determination of this relationship will be done through the use of a Pearson’s correlation analysis. I will then present the results of this analysis in form of tables, pie charts, and other relevant data presentation methods. This will give a basis for an interpretation of the statistics to arrive at scientifically supported conclusions.