Discourse trajectories in mathematics classrooms: An empirical study of preservice teachers in Ghana

Investigation into preservice teachers’ classroom discourse trajectories is important in understanding the effect of teacher education on their future practices. Despite this importance, the area remains largely understudied. This qualitative study adopted a case study design to explore classroom discourses of preservice teachers during a mandatory teaching practicum at rural basic schools in Ghana. A purposive sample of seven preservice teachers from one college of education participated in the study. Data were gathered through video recordings and observations of lessons delivered by participants. The discourse patterns were analyzed and interpreted via a dialogical discourse trajectory framework. The results revealed that the lessons delivered by two preservice teachers followed a univocal trajectory, where teaching dominated learning. Three preservice teachers exhibited a partially univocal trajectory, while two preservice teachers demonstrated an emerging dialogical trajectory in their lessons. None achieved the dialogical discourse currently advocated in the basic school mathematics curriculum. The study concludes that the observed discourse trajectories subordinate learning to teaching, potentially hindering learners’ development of quality mathematical communication skills. The study recommends that college tutors should use lesson study to promote preservice teachers’ dialogical discourse skills by recording mathematics lessons and using them as case studies to exemplify effective classroom discourses.