A U.S. Lexicon: Teachers' Language for Describing Mathematics Classes

• In Event: The Lexicon Project: Examining the Content, Structure, and Implications of Pedagogical Naming Systems From Different Cultures

Abstract

Aim
The goal of this research was to identify a lexicon used by middle school mathematics teachers in the U.S. to describe mathematics teaching and learning.

Perspective
Prior research suggests that the use of “names” permits us to identify socially significant ideas and interactions. For example, Carroll (1980) explains that names come to stand for descriptions once items become “nameworthy.” Similarly, Sapir (1958) emphasized that naming an object can help make it more salient to those familiar with the name. This suggests that investigating those items that teachers have “named” can provide insights into practices of significance and potentially help teachers to shift their practices in meaningful ways (Milewski & Strickland, 2016)

Methods and techniques
A U.S. lexicon was developed through a cyclical process of idea generation and revision. Initial terms were generated by a team of four U.S. researchers and teachers who reflected on international video recordings. Next, local validation involved 11 middle school teachers sorting terms and corresponding definitions according to their familiarity. Finally, a survey of 241 teachers was used to gather national data regarding the lexicon, including teachers’ familiarity with and usage of select terms.

Data
The U.S. Lexicon presented here consists of 100 terms organized in eight categories: Administration (7 terms), Classroom Climate (11), Assessment (16), Participation Structures (8), Engaging with Mathematics (13), Engaging in Learning (17), Discussion (7), and Pedagogical Approaches and Tools (21). We then further categorized the terms according to who primarily performs any actions associated with the term (‘Agency’) and whether the lexical term describes the structure of a practice (‘Form’), the purpose it serves (‘Function’), or both.

Results/Conclusions
Regarding agency, while some terms refer to activities undertaken primarily by the teacher (wait time) or the student (self-advocate), most of the terms in the lexicon can be taken up by either the student or the teacher (justify). A majority of lexicon terms name specific functions (questioning), whereas fewer terms refer to either forms, such as the structure of practice (group work), or both form and function (agenda, testing). Other notable features of this U.S. lexicon are the presence of terms referring to the social and emotional aspects of the classroom (build rapport), as well as a category of terms referring to math-specific processes (math practices).

Significance
This lexicon serves as a record of some of the most prevalent terms currently used by middle school mathematics teachers in the United States. Analyzing these terms according to the two aforementioned dimensions allows us to examine specific points of similarity and difference among five distinct lexicons. This comparison process will enable us to learn from the language of teachers in other countries, reflect on the affordances and constraints of the current U.S. lexicon, and open up new avenues for exploring differences in how teachers make sense of their practice.

Authors

• Tracy Dobie, University of Utah

• Miriam G. Sherin, Northwestern University

• Sarah Louise White, Northwestern University