A transdisciplinary study of a novice mathematics teacher’s instructional decision making

Abstract

In this study, we examine the real-time decision-making processes of a teacher in a UK post-16 mathematics classroom focusing on the integration of student-centred teaching methods. The contribution of this study is a transdisciplinary theoretical discussion which links teachers’ actual classroom practices (often traditional and teacher-centred) with their professed student-centred perspectives. Utilizing Abductive Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, this research incorporates cognitive, social psychological, sociocultural theory and perspectives on affect in the context of in-the-moment decisions. Through co-construction we identify distinct but overlapping agentic and ecological dimensions of decisions. Recognizing that teachers’ spontaneous decisions in the classroom are shaped by both their agency and the social and physical ecology of the classroom, this study provides a structured approach to understanding how diverse disciplinary concepts are related, and paints a much more dynamic picture of the process of teacher decision-making. This is crucial for identifying both limitations and possibilities in teacher education and professional development.