Teaching Mathematics Through Choral Responses : A Study of Two Sixth Grade Classrooms in China

This microethnographic study applies a three-level cultural model (teacher's cultural beliefs in mathematics teaching and learning, mathematics curriculum culture in China, and classroom culture) in analyzing data from interviews with the teachers.

This work demonstrates how various cultural factors work together to make choral response a culturally favored classroom discourse pattern.

There are four main types of choral response: choral reading, co-narrating, answering simple mathematics questions, and answering tag-questions.

The four variations share a function of holding student attention by increasing student participation opportunities.

With its own discourse features, each variation sets up a particular social structure under which particular mathematics knowledge is transmitted.

Choral reading highlights both important mathematics content and a hierarchical interpersonal relationship between the teacher and students.

Under the teacher's high authority the variations of co-narrating and answering simple questions are used efficiently to reproduce in every student's mind important mathematics concepts. By answering tag-questions, the tension in the hierarchical interpersonal relationship is temporarily mitigated while the student attention is held by the teacher.

The teachers' cultural beliefs in mathematics teaching and learning tend to make them view choral response as an optimal teaching strategy for whole class teaching.

The high efficiency of choral response in classroom communication meets well the Chinese mathematics curriculum, which has a broad content coverage.

The Chinese teachers' high authority and the classroom's physical arrangement make the successful use of choral response possible in Chinese classrooms.