Qualities of mathematical discourses in kindergartens

The study investigates the quality of the mathematical discourse in four kindergartens based on the interaction between kindergarten teachers and children in mathematics activities. The researchers compared the discourse in kindergartens where a teaching programme in mathematics was implemented with kindergartens that did not receive any kind of intervention. The research questions are: 1) What characterises the quality of the mathematical discourse in four kindergartens where the kindergarten teachers and five-year-olds participate in mathematical learning activities? 2) What are the differences in the mathematical discourse in the two kindergartens in the intervention group and the two kindergartens in the control group?

The results show that the mathematical discourse in the kindergartens that received the intervention invited the children to participate more in mathematics teaching than the children in the control group. The discourse between the two kindergarten groups differed both in terms of the extent of verbal utterances and the involvement of the children.

The data material consists of observations in four Norwegian kindergartens, where the kindergartens were divided into an intervention group and a control group. In the two kindergartens in the intervention group, a teaching programme in mathematics for five-year-olds was implemented. The kindergarten teachers received a training course and the children participated in four mathematics activities a week.

Hundeland, P. S., Carlsen, M. & Erfjord, I. (2020). «Qualities of mathematical discourses in kindergartens”. ZDM International Journal on Mathematics Education, 52(4):691–702.