A mathematics teacher’s classroom instructional decisions as a consequence of professional noticing : a pivotal teaching moments perspective of a single case study

Abstract

Professional noticing is a necessary skill for the effective teaching and learning of mathematics. However, it is not an easy skill to master and execute efficiently. In this interpretivist-qualitative single case study, we used the categorisation of pivotal teaching moments (PTMs) to explore a mathematics teacher's instructional decisions upon noticing learners' mathematical thinking. The findings reveal that all five types of PTMs were evident in the observed lesson, whilst the teacher's instructional decisions included extending and making connections, as well as pursuing learner thinking. We acknowledge the limitation of not interviewing learners to gain more insights into the questions they posed, thereby creating PTMs which triggered the teacher's instructional decisions. To this effect, further research is needed to incorporate learners' (and possibly teachers') interviews to advance a better understanding of the PTMs and teachers' instructional decisions in mathematics classes.