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Students' thinking dispositions and teacher's approaches in conflict situations: a case study of a secondary school mathematics class in Japan

Marie Toyoshima (Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan)

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies

ISSN: 2046-8253

Article publication date: 13 November 2024

Issue publication date: 18 November 2024

38

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to depict the process of creating a culture of thinking in relation to developing thinking dispositions, focusing on conflicts between students and teachers at the beginning of the school year.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a year-long fieldwork in a secondary school in Tokyo, Japan, including participatory observation of a mathematics class and a semi-structured interview with a teacher. The classroom discourse is analyzed to interpret the students’ thinking dispositions and the teacher's approaches in context using eight lessons. A situation in which the teacher attempts to change the method or direction of students’ thinking is defined as a conflict.

Findings

Five conflict situations are found, namely (1) listening, (2) mathematical explanation, (3) disclosure, (4) giving up and (5) examining ideas. They reveal three characteristics about students’ thinking dispositions: closed-minded, correct answer-ism and mathematical immaturity. Against such students’ thinking, the teacher tried to make them listen carefully to, understand and examine peer ideas, aiming to discuss mathematically. Through these conflicts, the classroom culture moves toward a community of thinking and discussing mathematically.

Originality/value

This study emphasizes the cultural and contextual aspects of thinking dispositions as shaped by a classroom culture. By depicting “conflict” as a new analysis unit, this study reveals students’ thinking dispositions and how they are enacted in what situations and how teacher’s approaches to them create a culture of thinking.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Prof. Asai (The University of Tokyo) for her encouragement and guidance. I am also grateful to Ms. Kageyama and Ms. Wakabayashi for useful discussions. I greatly appreciate the teacher and students who accepted the class observations and cooperated with the research. This work is supported by the research grant program of K. Matsushita Foundation. I would like to thank Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing.

Citation

Toyoshima, M. (2024), "Students' thinking dispositions and teacher's approaches in conflict situations: a case study of a secondary school mathematics class in Japan", International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 382-396. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-03-2024-0061

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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