Teaching Styles in the Teaching of Mathematics Thematically

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Instructional Styles in the Teaching of Mathematics Thematically 
Boris 
Handal 
Janette 
Bobis 

The University of Sydney 
 
 
The University of Sydney
 
[e-mail] j. 
[e-mail] 
ABSTRACT
This study explored different instructional styles in regard to the teaching of mathematics 
thematically. A hundred and twenty-two teachers were surveyed using a questionnaire and ten secondary 
mathematics teachers from New South Wales, Australia, were interviewed. The findings reveal that, in 
general, teachers opt for instructional styles that use applications of mathematics as a justification to teach 
in themes rather than using the theme as the context that should overarch the development of the lesson. It 
was also found that teachers shift among different teaching styles depending on the classroom context and 
opt for teaching mathematics via topics rather than in themes. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
In teaching and learning mathematics thematically, instruction is organised around 
thematic units or projects. Generally speaking, a thematic unit is a collection of learning 
experiences that assist students to relate their learning to an important question (Freeman 
& Sokoloff, 1996). Themes are the organisers of the mathematical curriculum, and 
concepts, skills and strategies are taught around a central theme that is intended to give 
meaning and direction to the learning process (Freeman & Sokoloff, 1995; Perfetti & 
Goldman, 1975).
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The rationale for teaching mathematics thematically addresses situated–learning and 
constructivist concerns that the teaching of mathematics occurs within a context that is 
more meaningful to students than traditional mathematical instruction.
 
It can be 
considered as a response to the need to humanise school mathematics (Clements, 1987). 
Its origins can be traced to Dewey’s (1938) progressive ideas on curriculum integration 
and to Bruner’s (1960) thoughts on the centrality and repetition of knowledge through the 
enactment of a spiral curriculum. The teaching of mathematics thematically is considered 
as belonging to the realm of situated learning because the content is embedded in themes 
that in turn serve as learning contexts (Henderson & Landesman, 1995). Situated learning 
is primarily concerned with the need to contextualise instruction since, by definition, all 
learning is situated. Learning is seen not as a matter of ingesting pre-existent knowledge 
but as a way of developing knowledge in meaningful and practice-bounded contexts 
(Putnam & Borko, 2000; Streibel, 1995). In turn, this situated perspective is associated 
with constructivist ideas of teaching and learning mathematics due to their shared interest 
for building mathematical knowledge within those contexts (Anderson Reder & Simon, 
1996; Murphy, 1997). The thematic approach is also directly associated with 
constructivist ideas since it provides an environment where knowledge can be 
individually and socially 
constructed 
(Freeman & Sokoloff, 1995; Good & Brophy, 1994; 
Seely, 1995)
. 
 
 
 
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