Teaching Concepts and Use of High-Order Cognitive Strategies in Mathematics among Secondary School Teachers

摘要

This study was conducted to identify the level of emphasis of teaching Mathematics on the understanding of concept and high-order cognitive strategies. A total of 15 teachers from four schools in Pasir Gudang, Johor were selected as respondents. Selected teachers were teachers who teach Mathematics for form two students. The instrument used in this study was a checklist with a 5-point Likert scale and an interview protocol. This checklist has two parts, part A on the background of the respondents and part B on the observation of respondents while teaching which contained 21 items. Data obtained from observations were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency and percentage. The findings from the interview were also analyzed to help the researchers make an explanation. The findings showed that the mean of teacher emphasis on understanding the concept and meaning in teaching Mathematics was moderate (m = 2.98). The teachers emphasis on the use of high-order cognitive strategies in the teaching of Mathematics was also moderate (m = 2.79). These findings have implications for Mathematics teachers to always have effective teaching strategies and can help to improve higher-order thinking skills in students.