Teacher noticing and use of language as a resource in the teaching and learning of mathematics

With an increasing resource-oriented perspective in mathematics education research focusing on language, the notion of language as a resource has been of interest to many researchers in the field. However, not many studies focused on understanding the notion from the perspectives of experienced mathematics teachers. Likewise, while teachers are expected to use mathematical language in teaching, there was little focus in understanding the specific knowledge teachers have in relation to language (particularly the mathematics register) and how they attend to language in the mathematics classroom. Hence, my intent in this research is two-fold. Firstly, I seek to understand the existing state of how teachers are noticing and using language as a resource in the mathematics classroom through the lenses of language-related dilemmas and language-related orientations. Secondly, I hope to explicate teachers' knowledge and potential usage of the mathematics register through the four dimensions of the Mathematics Register Knowledge Quartet. A task-based interview protocol was designed for this study. Eleven experienced mathematics teachers were asked to reflect upon what they noticed and how they would respond to a series of tasks, designed to illustrate situations which might lead to language-related dilemmas and challenges in using the mathematics register. In addressing the first research focus, the lenses of language-related dilemmas and language-related orientations were used in the analysis to account for how teachers notice and use language in the mathematics classroom. Specifically, two main categories of language use emerged from the analysis, namely as a resource for developing mathematical understanding, and as a resource for mathematics talk. The findings were discussed through the cases of two teachers who primarily notice and use language, as described by the two categories respectively. In addressing the second research focus, an exemplification of teachers' knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of the mathematics register in relation to mathematics teaching and learning was presented based on an analysis of their responses to three tasks, using the Mathematics Register Knowledge Quartet. Consequently, their knowledge (or lack of knowledge) of the mathematics register provided insights into how language might be attended to in the teaching and learning of related concepts.