7/2022 vol. 18
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RESEARCH PAPER
Mathematics teachers’ conceptual understanding of soft skills in secondary schools in Zambia
Chileshe Busaka 1
,
 
Odette Umugiraneza 2
,
 
Septimi Reuben Kitta 3
 
 
 
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1
African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS), College of Education, University of Rwanda, RWANDA
 
2
Rwanda Polytechnic, Kigali, RWANDA
 
3
University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, TANZANIA
 
 
Publication date: 2022-06-15
 
 
EURASIA J. Math., Sci Tech. Ed 2022;18(7):em2128
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/12160
 
 
Article (PDF)
References (75)
 
KEYWORDS
mathematics teachers
conceptual understanding
competence
soft skills
assessment
 
ABSTRACT
Teachers’ conceptual knowledge contributes to the quality of teaching and learning of mathematics. The purpose of this study was to explore how mathematics teachers show understanding of soft skills and if they are aware of the methods that incorporate them in teaching and learning of mathematics. The sample consisted of 91 mathematics teachers, comprising 48 males and 43 females, who were purposively selected from secondary schools in Mazabuka district in Zambia. The parallel mixed design was used to collect data through a conceptual understanding test, developed using literature. Data were analyzed using JASP, SPSS software, and an excel spreadsheet. The findings revealed that the majority of mathematics teachers did not possess enough conceptual understanding of soft skills, and most of them were not aware of the methods and assessment strategies that incorporate soft skills. Additionally, mathematics teachers’ demographical factors such as age, gender, level of education and teaching experience were not found to have influenced teachers in the way they classified teaching and assessment strategies as very appropriate, appropriate, or not appropriate except in a few instances were gender and age had shown to have an influence. The study provides an insight into the needs of mathematics teachers to have adequate knowledge and preparation in the integration of soft skills in mathematics.
 
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