ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVE USE OF THE PATTERNS OF CLASSROOM INTERACTIONS IN MATHEMATICS LESSONS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ZANZIBAR

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to explore the patterns of classroom interaction that teachers use when teaching and learning Mathematics in Zanzibar secondary schools, challenges that hinder teachers‟ effective use of the patterns of classroom interaction and the subsequent development of the intervention programme to address the challenges. This action research design was based on qualitative research approach which was used to get information from 15 teachers who were sampled from 10 secondary schools located in Kaskazini “A” District in Unguja. The study revealed that the main patterns of classroom interaction used by teachers in Mathematic lessons were teacher–student, teacher-material, student–student, and student-material interaction. Further, the findings revealed that lack of teachers‟ competences and shortage of the Mathematics teaching and learning materials that guide teachers in effective utilization of the four patterns of classroom interaction were among the main factors that hinder ineffective use of the patterns. These findings saved as a basis to design and develop an intervention programme that may possibly address the challenges observed so far.

The findings from the proposed intervention revealed that the teachers who participated in the designing and developing the lessons materials were able to acquire necessary skills, knowledge, and competence by designing and developing Mathematics lesson materials that accommodate the four patterns of classroom interactions, and in the implementation of Mathematics lessons that make use of all the four patterns. From this study, it can be concluded that the intervention programme developed was able to address the challenges which hinder teachers from using the interactive lessons in Mathematics classrooms in Zanzibar secondary schools. The study recommends more action research to be conducted in developing instructional teaching and learning materials that may enhance effective use of the classroom patterns of interaction in other topics in Mathematics subject to address the problems of misconceptions which hinder students‟ engagement during Mathematics lessons.