A qualitative study on the description of the teaching and learning processes in secondary school mathematics lessons

The purpose of this study was to determine the behaviors shown by mathematics teachers in secondarymathematics education while they teach. Such a study is important with respect to determining the rightbehaviors or negative sides of the behaviors of mathematics teachers in secondary education at schools whilethey teach as one of the factors affecting the students? achievement. For this study, the behaviors that themathematics teachers have to show for an effective teaching have been taken as the basis.For this purpose, ten teachers who teach mathematics in secondary education at schools in Sultanbeylidistrict of Istanbul in education years 2005-2006 have constituted the sample group. The researcher observedthe teachers without any interaction in their natural classroom conditions. The data and the observed behaviorswere recorded by the researcher by taking writing notes in detail. The study was conducted according to the rulesof qualitative research method.Of all the behaviors appeared during the analysis of the data, the ones with similar features weregathered and codes were formed. Then, these codes were placed in the suitable themes by taking the literature ofeducational sciences as the basis. Particularly, the observed behaviors of teachers that could take place inside theexpected activities during the education were arranged as tables and then related interpretations were made aboutthem.According to the results of the research, mathematics teachers:1. Handle the lesson in two parts as teaching the subject and solving problems.2. They start teaching by saying what subject they are going to teach and they use the strategy ofpresentation path, explaining the subject and the method of questions and answers while they teach thesubjects.3. During problem solving sessions, clues are given while the students try to solve the problem andteachers walk among the desks as they correct the mistakes in the notebooks of students and answer thestudents? questions. But they do not give enough opportunities to the students to solve the problems bythemselves. They usually solve the problems by themselves and when it comes to calling one of thestudents to come to the blackboard, they choose the students who raise their hands. After the problem issolved, they ask the class if there is anyone who did not understand and if there are, and then they re-solve and explain the problem.4. They remind pre-requisite learning and they use clues, but they do not motivate, and they do notassociate the subjects with real life, nor they use consolidator and they do not give homework.The results of this study is expected to be beneficial for mathematics teachers to continue their correctbehaviors while they teach and compensating their lacking sides by taking advantage of therecommendations and acquiring effective teaching skills before they start their in-service teaching.