Chinese Journal of Science Education


Vol. 16 No. 2 , Pages 147 - 169 , 2008

The Analysis of the Learning of Taiwanese Tayal Junior High School Students and the Design of Teaching Activities Utilizing Activity Theory (Article written in Chinese)

Chih-Hsien HUANG & Fou-Lai LIN

Abstract

From a cultural perspective, this research utilized activity theory as the theoretical framework to analyze the influences of cultural factors for Taiwan Tayal junior high school student’s study in mathematics. This research also aimed to design teaching activities in light of the findings. The research methodology adopted a grounded theory approach, and the research subjects were 30 Tayal students from aborigines’ primary and junior high schools at north. The result revealed that 1) From the cultural point of view, the tension between Tayal culture’s “speech-based representation system” and Chinese culture’s “character-based representation system” cause Tayal students difficulties to carry out the transformation of representations. 2) Tension formed between Tayal students’ “wholeness and conferring of meaning” thinking framework, and “partialness” presented in teaching material and teaching activities, is unfavorable for their understanding of mathematical concepts. 3) Tension is formed between Tayal culture’s “open ended discussion” style and “close ended discussion” style in mathematics class, which lowered the opportunity for Tayal students to communicate mathematical knowledge. In the teaching practice perspective, Tayal students can be more actively involved in mathematics learning activities when the tension between teaching/studying systems is considered. As for the theoretical structure, the analysis structure of classroom activity and the design of teaching activities developed from a social-cultural orientation and activity theory, can indeed improve Tayal students’ mathematical learning into the cultural stream. Analysis through this systematic network, can reveal the factors influencing Tayal students’ learning of mathematics under their cultural background.

Keywords: cultural representation; activity theory; grounded theory; mathematics teaching designing; tension of mathematics learning

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