Teaching Styles in the Teaching of Mathematics Thematically

CONCLUSION 
Based on both quantitative and qualitative data, it was possible to identify three teaching 
styles associated with the teaching of mathematics thematically. The first style of 
instruction was concerned with teaching via topics with an emphasis on procedural 
learning. The second style was found to have an association with two individual sub-
styles. In the first sub-style, themes were used to provide a context for a particular topic 
but in a very structured way. In the second sub-style, themes were used as the learning 
context of the lesson and as a generative idea. The third style made use of themes to 
model and investigate a particular aspect of reality. This was considered the most 
complex style of teaching thematically and was rarely used among Standard teachers 
because it required students to be proficient in both numeracy and literacy. It also 
required a high level of pedagogical skills on the part of the teacher. The predominance 
of these styles suggests that the teaching of mathematics thematically in the Standard 
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course is being implemented mostly in its simplest form–via topics with emphasis on 
procedural teaching.
In general, teachers seemed to shift constantly among styles but still gravitate between 
the simplicity of the first style and the first sub-style of the second teaching style. This 
fluctuating movement between teaching styles may even occur very often within one 
single lesson. Teachers repeatedly have to revert from complex to more simple styles in 
order to revisit basic skills. These factors are important because they help to understand 
the reasons as to why teachers are generally resistant to teach mathematics thematically. 
These factors show that there are many forces that a teacher considers in deciding a more 
complex style of thematic teaching and that, in general, opting for a more complex style 
is risky and challenging for most teachers.