Abstract
Adaptive teaching ranks as an important factor for the adequate handling of individuality and heterogeneity in classrooms, especially with regard to students with special educational needs (SEN). The concept of adaptive learning support has been developed on findings on the mathematical knowledge acquisition, on the didactics of teaching heterogeneous classrooms and on teachers’ adaptive support strategies. It integrates mathematical content and interactional instruction aspects. To date, adaptive teaching has been empirically investigated mainly in individual learning situations. In the current study the teachers’ adaptive support has been investigated primarily in whole-class teaching by means of videotaped mathematics lessons. The teachers used a specific remedial programme with instructions on adaptive learning support. The results show that the adaptive learning support differ according to the dimensions of adaptivity. 70–80% of the teachers reached a high level of adaptivity in using manipulatives and target orientation, 60% in cognitive activation and handling errors productively. The least successful dimension was stimulating discourse (50% high level).
Pfister, Mirjam