Siphiwe Sihlangu

Introduction: Mathematics vocabulary is an essential aspect of mathematical language that enables learners to participate effectively in classroom discourse; however, few studies have examined its development within classroom discourse from a commognitive perspective. This study addresses this gap by offering a commognitive account of the mathematical vocabulary used in a discursive mathematics classroom. Methods: Using a qualitative ethnographic research design, data were generated through classroom observations and document analysis and examined using commognition theory as both a theoretical framework and a methodological lens for discourse analysis. The participants comprised 25 learners and their mathematics teacher, selected through purposive sampling. Findings: The findings indicate that the mathematical vocabulary in use encompassed both colloquial and technical registers and evolved from routine, phrase-driven usage towards increasingly objectified forms, signalling a more formalized understanding of mathematical objects. Discussion: The study contributes to the literature by illuminating how discourse mediates learners' transition from process-oriented to product-oriented participation in mathematical discourse, a shift that supports the development of mathematical proficiency. The results underscore the importance of teachers' deliberate scaffolding of mathematical vocabulary and their use of precise, consistent terms that promote equitable access to the understanding of mathematical concepts. Furthermore, the study highlights discourse-based mathematics learning as a critical pathway for deepening conceptual understanding through language.

This paper explored geography teachers’ integration of mathematical concepts in the teaching of mapwork skills and calculations. A qualitative explorative case study was adopted, and data were generated through field notes and observations of four geography teachers’s lessons. The knowledge integration perspective was used to analyse the collected data through thematic analysis. Findings revealed that geography teachers need to translate between mathematics and geography terms, transfer explanatory concepts from the mathematics context to mapwork skills and calculations and transform the integration of interdisciplinary understanding through instructional resources. This study concludes that geography teachers should integrate mathematical concepts when teaching geography to allow learners to understand map skills and calculations effectively. A call for experienced and novice Geographers to collaborate with Mathematics teachers to close the gap in teaching map skills. This study contributes to the existing knowledge of teaching mapwork skills and calculations in secondary schools by influencing pedagogical practices for interdisciplinary teaching.

Epistemic agency is increasingly recognised as an important focus in teacher education, yet little is known about how it is enacted when pre-service teachers (PSTs) reflect on learner struggles in Physical Sciences. This qualitative case study investigated how Physical Sciences PSTs enacted epistemic agency through reflective engagement with learner struggles. Situated in a final-year Classroom Research in Physical Sciences module, the study involved 73 PSTs’ written reflections and follow-up semi-structured interviews with eight participants. Data were analysed thematically, guided by the lens of epistemic agency. Findings revealed enactments of critical noticing, representational critique, and responsible pedagogical reasoning, with teacher noticing as a cross-cutting mechanism. The study concludes that structured reflection fosters epistemic virtues and recommends explicit integration of learning struggles and noticing practices in teacher education.

Understanding learners’ mathematical thinking through classroom discourse has become an important focus in mathematics education research, particularly in relation to how language mediates conceptual development. Although prior studies have examined students’ procedural and conceptual understanding, limited research has systematically explored how mathematical vocabulary functions within classroom discourse to shape learners’ thinking processes, especially from a commognitive perspective. Addressing this gap, the present study offers a novel contribution by employing Sfard’s commognitive framework to analyze learners’ mathematical thinking through their use of mathematical vocabulary during classroom interactions. This study aims to investigate how learners’ mathematical thinking is manifested and differentiated as explorative or ritualistic through discourse. Adopting a qualitative ethnographic research design, the study involved 25 Grade 9 mathematics learners. Data were collected through sustained classroom observations and analysis of learners’ written responses and were examined using commognitive discourse analysis focusing on mathematical vocabulary, visual mediators, narratives, routines, and objectification. The findings reveal two distinct forms of mathematical thinking. Explorative thinking is characterized by the appropriate use of mathematical vocabulary, coherent visual mediators, and well-articulated narratives supported by a higher degree of objectification, as well as flexible routines that preserve equivalence through additive inverse operations. In contrast, ritualistic thinking is marked by limited objectification, reliance on single procedures, dependence on visual cues, and strong orientation toward the teacher as the authoritative source of validation. These findings highlight the critical role of mathematically rich discourse in supporting learners’ transition from ritualistic to explorative thinking, thereby contributing to more meaningful and effective mathematics learning and informing instructional practices in secondary mathematics classrooms.