Classroom Instructional Practices in Light of the Components of Mathematical Proficiency

(Saber J. Alzahrani)

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Abstract

The study aimed to reveal the reality of classroom instructional practices of high school mathematics teachers in light of the five components of mathematical proficiency: conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and productive disposition. It relied on the descriptive approach. The study tool was an observation card that included 38 practices distributed across the five components of mathematical proficiency. The study sample consisted of 24 high school mathematics teachers. The findings indicated that the overall level of instructional practices of high school mathematics teachers, in light of the five components of mathematical proficiency, was average. Three components showed an average level of practice, while two components showed a low level. The component strategic competence ranked first, followed by conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. The productive disposition component ranked fourth, and adaptive reasoning ranked fifth and last. The study recommended that training courses focusing on mathematical proficiency be developed for high school mathematics teachers.
KEYWORDS
Mathematics teachers, conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, productive desire

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References

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