Mathematics Mediational Means and Learner Centredness: Insights from ‘traditional’ Malawian Secondary School Geometry Lessons

We re-examine a Malawian teacher’s lessons which, using the framework of mathematic problem-solving developed by Polya, the typology of levels of task demand from Stein and colleagues and Malawi’s description of learner-centred education (LCE), were described as teacher-centred and evaluated as ‘not good’. We studied seven video-recorded circle geometry lessons taught by the teacher and analysed these first using an LCE framework and then the Mathematics Discourse in Instruction (MDI) framework, adapted to suit the analysis of geometry lessons. The LCE analysis revealed that while the lessons were undoubtedly teacher-centred, they were not at the extreme end of an LCE continuum. Analysis using an adapted MDI framework showed that the teacher’s use of mediational means opened opportunities to learn mathematics. We argue that LCE frameworks are useful in mathematics education research as they do not dichotomise teaching practices, but they are insufficient. They can obscure opportunities made available to learn mathematics. Frameworks that illuminate such opportunities are needed to fully describe mathematics teaching practices. Furthermore, we identified links between the elements of LCE exhibited and the mathematical mediational means in use. These suggest that supporting teachers to strengthen their mathematical mediational means in use could enable movement towards more learner-centered teaching. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.