Teaching for visual literacy by mathematics teachers in Tanzanian secondary schools

Abstract

In this study, I examined the topic of teaching for visual literacy by mathematics teachers in Tanzanian secondary schools. One of the goals of teaching mathematics in these schools is for learners to acquire mathematical knowledge and skills, which will be useful in their daily lives and future careers. Several studies have shown that visual literacy enables learners to acquire knowledge and skills that are also useful in their lives and future careers. It is a well-known fact that mathematics plays an important role in human endeavours, and life in general. On the one hand, research persistently reports that mathematical concepts are too abstract and complex for learners, which makes it difficult for teachers to teach these concepts effectively. On the other hand, the literature suggests that teaching mathematics for visual literacy could assist learners in understanding mathematical concepts easily, and developing visual literacy skills. Learners could better understand the mathematical concepts being taught and acquire visual literacy skills through the use of both teacher-centred and learner-centred teaching styles and various teaching strategies, including traditional teaching; group work, in particular cooperative learning; discovery; problem-based learning; multimedia instruction; as well as providing an opportunity for learners to interpret visual information and use visual media. Using a case study of three mathematics teachers from three schools, this study examined how Tanzanian secondary school mathematics teachers taught for visual literacy in Form 2 classrooms. The data was collected using classroom observations and interviews. The findings from the collected data have suggested that Tanzanian mathematics teachers do not meet the requirements for teaching mathematics for visual literacy due to various factors, such as the length of the syllabus, lack of pedagogical content knowledge, insufficient technology and dynamic media in schools, teachers' beliefs, National Examinations rules and regulations, and overcrowded classrooms. Recommendations for further studies based on this study have also been made.