TMS3725/201/0/2022

Tutorial Letter 201/0/2022

Teaching Mathematics in FET phase

ASSIGNMENT No. 4 Feedback

TMS3725
Year
Department of Mathematics Education

Dear Student

This tutorial letter contains feedback on Assignment 4.

[TURN OVER]
 TMS3725/201/0/2022

Question 1 (20)
1.1 Discuss the value of Bloom’s taxonomy for the cognitive domain when setting a
mathematics exam paper. Give an example of each level.
• Allows you to structure and plan your exam paper better to see if you are
effectively testing all domains.
• Ensures that you are properly measuring learning outcomes and the
effectiveness of training and learning.
• It gives you a template by which you can assess the validity and
coverage of any existing training.
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
✓✓✓✓ for value discussion
✓ for each level and example
See pp. 91- 96 of Study guide (10)
1.2 What is the difference between routine and non-routine problems? Give an
example of each.
• Routine: Uses clear procedures and doesn`t require any out of the box
thinking. ✓✓
• Non-routine: Does not have a clear procedure, is obscure and needs a
further level of understanding and problem-solving. ✓✓ (4)
1.3 Discuss the benefits of teaching with problems.
• Student-centred.
• In solving problems, students construct their own knowledge, and therefore
• Attempts to establish individual and social procedures
• Procedures are used to monitor and improve the nature and quality of those
constructions. ✓ × 4 (4)
1.4 How is assessment different from testing and evaluation?
• Testing measures the level of skill or knowledge that has been reached.
• Evaluation is the process of making judgments based on criteria and
evidence.
• Assessment is the process of documenting knowledge, skills, attitudes and
beliefs, usually in measurable terms. ✓✓ (2)
Question 2 (30)
2.1 Identify and describe at least seven essential elements that a teacher should
consider when planning a quality lesson for a mathematics class.
• Instructional objectives.
• Learner prior knowledge
• Task analysis
• Materials and resources required.
• Teaching strategies
• Setting (learners' organization)
• Evaluation
✓✓ × 7
See pp. 66-7 and p. 70 of Study guide. (14)

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2.2 Draw up the lesson plan for one FET topic of your choice. Use the three-phase
lesson format: (before, during and after). Describe in detail what you are going
to do in each of the three phases. You should have at least two activities in
your lesson plan.
See the checklist on pp. 68 and the sample lesson plan on pp. 77-81 (10)

2.3 Describe in detail how each of the activities will be assessed.

• Guided by students' responses ✓✓✓ × 2 (6)
Question 3 (50)
3.1 Assessment occupies a central place in education, and especially in the
mathematics curriculum. Rowntree’s (1997) framework is used for
elaborating on assessment. Discuss five questions adapted from this
framework.
• Why assess? ✓
Deciding why assessment is to be carried out; what effects or
outcomes it is expected to produce. ✓
• What to assess? ✓
Deciding, realising, or otherwise coming to an awareness of
what we are looking for, or remarking on. ✓
• How to assess? ✓
Selecting, from among all the means at our disposal for learning
about people, those we regard as being most truthful and fair for
various sorts of valued knowledge. ✓
• How to interpret? ✓
Making sense of the outcomes of whatever observation or
measurements of impressions we gather, through whatever
means we employ; explaining, appreciating, and attaching
meaning to the raw ‘events’ of assessment. ✓
• How to respond? ✓
Finding appropriate ways of expressing our response to what
has been assessed and communicating it to the person
concerned/other people. ✓

See pp. 84-106 of study guide.

(10)
3.2 Differentiate between diagnostic and baseline assessment.
• Diagnostic: It is similar to a formal assessment; the difference is that
there can be assistance and corrections during the assessment to help
the learners understand. ✓✓
• Baseline: This is to test a learner’s prior knowledge before starting
with the topic necessary for the term. This is usually done at the start
of a new grade or term. ✓✓ (4)
3.3 Validity and reliability are two concepts that should be considered when
discussing assessment and evaluation. Differentiate between the two
concepts.
• Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure (whether the results
can be reproduced under the same conditions). ✓✓ (4)

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• Validity refers to the accuracy of a measure (whether the results really

do represent what they are supposed to measure). ✓✓
3.4 Illustrate at least two ways in which the theorem “A line drawn from the center
of a circle to the midpoint of a chord, is perpendicular to the chord” and can be
approached in a grade 11 class.
• First: You can just have your class memorize it as a fact and give a
bunch of examples that shows it’s a working theory. (Procedural
approach) ✓✓✓
• Second: You can draw up a circle then give the equations of the 2
lines. Then have them calculate the gradient of both lines and
multiply them together. Then repeat this step a few times and show
that the answer is always -1 thus making them perpendicular to each
other. (Conceptual approach). ✓✓✓ (6)
3.5 What pre-knowledge concepts would a grade 11 learner need to know before
learning quadratic equations?
• Led by students’ responses. ✓ × 5 (5)
3.6 Hence solve the equation 2𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 9 = 0 by completing the square.
9
𝑥2 − 𝑥 − =0
2
2
1 1 9
𝑥 2 − 𝑥 + (− ) − (− )2 − = 0✓
2 2 2
2
1 1 9
𝑥 −𝑥+ − − =0
4 4 2
1 2 19
(𝑥 − ) − = 0✓
2 4
2
1 19
(𝑥 − ) = ✓
2 4

1 √19
(𝑥 − ) = ± ✓
2 2
1 √19
𝑥= ±
2 2
1 + √19 1 − √19
𝑥= ✓ or ✓
2 2 (6)
3.7 Misconceptions are often regarded as “mistakes”.
3.7.1 Give five examples of misconceptions learners might have when
solving quadratic equations.
• Led by students’ responses ✓ × 5 (5)
3.7.2 Discuss how you will help a learner to remedy the misconceptions that
you mentioned in 3.7.1.
• Led by students’ responses ✓✓ × 5 (10)

TOTAL MARKS = 100

NB: Please note that we were unable to grade question 4 owing to its rubric-required nature.
When assessing, we must guarantee that our tasks are fair. To do this, we must be explicit
beforehand so that candidates understand what constitutes a quality response.

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