Analysing improvisation in the mathematics classroom

Nick Mcivor (1) , Jeremy Hodgen (1) , Sai Loo (1)

1 University College London, Institute of Education, London

This paper starts from two assumptions: that expert teachers of mathematics (and other subjects) regularly improvise, and that theatrical improvisation is a teachable skill. If it can be shown that the improvisational moves of an expert mathematics teacher draw on some of the same skills as those of a stage performer, existing theatre training approaches may be of use in supporting the professional development of maths teachers, begging the question: to what extent are teachers and performers improvising in the same way? Using thematic analysis, this paper compares two parallel accounts of a single lesson episode involving an expert mathematics teacher: as an improvised performance observed by the author and as an interactive lesson recalled by the teacher. It further suggests that these narratives can be seen as a development of Schoenfeld’s model of ‘teachers’ in-the-moment decision making’ while exemplifying aspects of his earlier model for ‘teaching-in-context’.

Mots clés: Secondary school mathematics; creative teaching; decision making

Domaines: Mathématiques [math]; Education

Nick Mcivor, Jeremy Hodgen, Sai Loo. Analysing improvisation in the mathematics classroom. Thirteenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME13), Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics; Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest, Jul 2023, Budapest, Hungary. ⟨hal-04398559⟩