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Analysing senior secondary mathematics teaching using the Knowledge Quartet

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Abstract

The multi-faceted nature of mathematics knowledge for teaching, including pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), has been studied widely in elementary classrooms, but little research has focused on senior secondary mathematics teaching. This study utilised the Knowledge Quartet (Rowland et al., Research in Mathematics Education, 17(2), 74–91, 2005) to analyse mathematics teaching at the senior secondary level using excerpts from a lesson on differential calculus and another on discrete probability distributions. The findings reveal that, at this level, there is a complex interplay among aspects of the Knowledge Quartet, including the impact of foundational knowledge on contingent moments. Horizon content knowledge is shown to play an important role in teaching decisions, as do perceived constraints. This has implications for future research into how teachers’ horizon knowledge might be expanded and into teachers’ perceptions of mathematics course constraints on the enactment and development of their mathematics knowledge for teaching.

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Data availability

The material presented in this paper was drawn from the data generated in a wider PhD investigation. The thesis is available at https://eprints.utas.edu.au/31741/.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, The University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

    Nicole Maher, Tracey Muir & Helen Chick

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  1. Nicole Maher
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  2. Tracey Muir
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Contributions

Nicole Maher was the PhD candidate who conducted the research upon which this paper is based. Nicole’s PhD was supervised by Tracey Muir and Helen Chick. Nicole Maher produced the first draft of this paper with Tracey Muir and Helen Chick drafting additional sections. All authors read and approved the final paper. All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design.

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Correspondence to Nicole Maher.

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Maher, N., Muir, T. & Chick, H. Analysing senior secondary mathematics teaching using the Knowledge Quartet. Educ Stud Math 110, 233–249 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-021-10125-1

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