Abstract
M.Ed. (Mathematics Education)
The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ pedagogical
content knowledge (PCK) in the teaching of equivalent fractions in
grade 3 learners. The study used a qualitative paradigm, where a
case study design was adopted. Five teachers were sampled through
a purposive sampling strategy.
The data were collected through three methods: observations,
interviews and document analysis. Four teachers were observed in
their classrooms and were also interviewed, the fifth teacher was
only interviewed through an interview schedule. Interview and
observation data were analyzed and interpreted using the ladder of
inference, which follows a three-rung approach. The documents in
the form of learners’ class works, home works, tests and teachers’
lesson plans were analyzed. Learners’ works correlated with their
teachers’ preparations and presentations.
The findings indicate that teachers lacked PCK in the teaching of
fractions in particular, equivalent fractions. Teachers were not
competent, fluent and not independent in the teaching of fractions. It
is also clear from data collected that fractions are notoriously difficult
for teachers to teach and for learners to learn. On the whole,
teachers seem to lack requisite skills to contextualize content to the
appropriate cognitive levels of their learners. Teachers demonstrated
poor content and conceptual knowledge ...