Discursive Style in Teaching Mathematics: Its Impact on Grade Three Pupils' Performance

This study investigates the impact of discursive teaching styles on the mathematical performance of Grade 3 pupils at Balo-i Central Elementary School during the third quarter of the academic year 2024–2025, employing a one-group pretest-posttest design to examine the influence of teacher-student interactions, questioning techniques, feedback, and classroom discussions on students' comprehension of mathematical concepts. By comparing pretest and posttest scores, the research assesses whether discursive teaching strategies significantly enhance mathematical performance. The findings reveal a notable increase in posttest scores, indicating that interactive teaching methods have a positive influence on learning outcomes. Specifically, structured classroom discourse techniques, such as revoicing, negotiating meaning, and guided questioning, were shown to improve students' problem-solving abilities and deepen their understanding of math concepts. These results align with the existing literature, which emphasizes the value of student-centered and communicative approaches in fostering engagement and critical thinking in mathematics. However, the study's scope is limited to a single institution, suggesting that its findings may not be fully generalizable to other contexts due to variations in student demographics, instructional environments, and prior knowledge levels. As such, future studies are recommended to involve broader sample sizes across multiple schools to validate and extend the findings and examine the long-term impacts of discursive teaching. Nonetheless, this research adds to the growing body of knowledge on effective mathematics instruction by demonstrating that incorporating discourse in the classroom enhances both student participation and comprehension. It offers practical implications for educators, encouraging the adoption of interactive strategies that foster dialogue, questioning, and reflective thinking to enhance mathematical learning. In conclusion, discursive teaching presents a promising approach to developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills among young learners, underscoring the importance of dynamic and communicative instructional practices in primary mathematics education.