Provisional Title: An investigation of the roles of teachers’ gestures as visualization tool in the teaching of Mathematics in Grade 3. Research questions: 1. What types / nature of gestures do Grade 3 teachers use in the teaching of Mathematics? 2. What are the roles of teachers’ gestures as visualization tools in the teaching of Mathematics?

Background/ context/ theory Communication is an essential part of many learning contexts. These contexts include peer collaboration, tutoring and of course, classroom instruction. However, communication sometimes breaks down. Students sometimes fail to understand the information their teachers provide, and they sometimes fail to construct knowledge,

despite teachers’ best effort to create a conducive environment under which they will learn. When both teachers and learners communicate, they gesture, and those gestures often reveal information that cannot be found in speech. Gestures are spontaneous movements, usually of the hands and arms, which people produce when they speak ( MeNeill 1992).

Lozano & Tversky (2006) suggest that gestures help the recipient understands the communicator. Gestures are portable, flexible, and ideal for improving learning contexts. They can be teaching tools for teachers as well as learning tools for learners. However, there is no research done on the roles of gestures in mathematical visualization and for this reason my study will focus on the role

of the teachers’ gestures as visualization tool in the teaching of mathematics in Grade 3. Bruner (1990) developed three stages of representation, the enactive, the iconic and the symbolic. ( WILL READ MORE ON THAT)

Research design This study will employ a mixed method approach using both qualitative and quantitative data. According to Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2011) mixed method research provides a more complete picture of the phenomenon under study. The study will be divided into two phases. In the first phase, I will observe 5 teachers’ gestures( types/ nature).

The second phase will be a one on one interview with 5 selected teachers. The study will be conducted in Outapi circuit Omusati region.