Democratic Classroom Practice in Mathematics Teaching at Primary Level in Myagdi District

Abstract

This study focuses on classroom practices in primary schools in Myagdi District. In particularly, this study attempts to examine the democratic approach in classroom practice in teaching mathematics at primary level through democratic indicators. It also seeks to find aspects of democratic classroom practice and its hindering factors. This is qualitative study related to the classroom life of student in schools. I used semi-structured face to face interviews with class teacher and students and classroom observation form to collect primary data from the four schools of Myagdi District. Among these, two schools are from rural area and two schools are from urban. Related literature, theories and concepts, which are relevant to this study, have been reflected. Learning of mathematics depends upon active participation, creativity discovery and interaction, which are based on democratic classroom practice. Democracy has its own indicators like right of child, participation of child, interaction, facilitation and self-governance, equal opportunity and individual difference, democratic method of teaching and social activities. This study shows that the aspects of democratic classroom practice are active participation, power sharing, fraternity, freedom, interaction and equal opportunities in teaching mathematics at primary level. Likewise factors, which are needed for the democratic classroom practice, are physical facilities, teaching materials, active participation of children, child centered teaching method, interaction and equality. It is found that the factors which hinders for making good democracy in classroom practice are lack of teaching materials and physical facilities, crowded class, lack of student-teacher-parent relationship, activities less curriculum, unknown about democratic teaching method and lack of supervision and inspection. Education leads towards life and life, of course, demands democracy. If so, what harm is there having practice democracy in classroom? No harm rather benefits.