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Teacher moves for supporting student reasoning

Mathematics Education Research Journal volume 31, pages 107–132 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Teachers play a critical role in supporting students’ mathematical engagement. There is evidence that meaningful student engagement occurs more often in student-centered classrooms, in which the teacher and the students mutually share mathematical authority. However, teacher-centered instruction continues to dominate classroom discourse, and teachers struggle to effectively support student inquiry. This paper presents a framework of teacher moves specific to inquiry-oriented instruction, the Teacher Moves for Supporting Student Reasoning (TMSSR) framework. Based on the analysis of four instructors’ implementations of a middle grades (ages 12–14) research-based unit on ratio and linear functions, the TMSSR framework organizes pedagogical moves into four categories, eliciting, responding, facilitating, and extending, and then places individual moves within each category on a continuum according to their potential for supporting student reasoning. In this manner, the TMSSR framework characterizes how multiple teacher moves can work together to foster an inquiry-oriented environment. We detail the framework with data examples and then present a classroom episode exemplifying the framework’s operation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics and Science Education, University of Georgia, 105 Aderhold Hall, 110 Carlton Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Amy Ellis

  2. Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Dokuz Eylül University, Uğur Mumcu Cad. 135 Sk. No:5, 35150, Buca, İzmir, Turkey

    Zekiye Özgür

  3. School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th Street, Campus Box 122, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA

    Lindsay Reiten

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  1. Amy Ellis
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  2. Zekiye Özgür
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  3. Lindsay Reiten
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Correspondence to Amy Ellis.

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Ellis, A., Özgür, Z. & Reiten, L. Teacher moves for supporting student reasoning. Math Ed Res J 31, 107–132 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-018-0246-6

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Keywords

  • Mathematics teacher education
  • Classroom discussion
  • Teacher moves
  • Algebra