Choosing Mathematical Examples: Routine but Not an Easy Task

Abstract

Choosing examples for the purpose of teaching mathematics is routine tasks done by every mathematics teachers. Examples are an important medium used by mathematics teachers as a communication device to discuss mathematical content with their students (Leindhart, 2001). Through examples, students build their understanding about mathematical ideas. In spite of the important role played by mathematical examples, the knowledge about mathematical exemplification is not formally taught to the teachers. It has to be built by the teachers through their teaching experience (Zaslavsky & Zodik, 2007). The purpose of this study is to capture this knowledge. We study six Excellent Mathematics Teachers teaching practices using pre-active notes, observation and interview in order to know the things that influence their choice of examples. Findings show that although choosing examples is a routine task, but it seems that it is not an easy one.