17β-Estradiol inhibition of PPARγ-induced adipogenesis and adipocyte-specific gene expression

Research suggests that the way teachers teach their subject relates closely to their beliefs about that subject. Testing the applicability of this assertion in the Fiji context, this study investigates twenty Fijian secondary mathematics teachers’ beliefs about the nature of mathematics and their preferred ways of teaching the subject. Using semi-structured interviews with twenty (20) Fijian secondary mathematics teachers, the study explores their beliefs about mathematics. They were also asked to describe their customary methods for teaching the subject. The majority of teachers were found to hold absolutist views about mathematics and prefer the use of the traditional teacher-directed type of teaching buttressed by many practice examples. They are of the view that completing the syllabus and getting students ready for the examinations is of prime importance. By providing insight into the teachers’ beliefs about the subject and their preferred ways of teaching it, this study opens the way for serious discussion about ways of improving the teaching and learning of mathematics and developing a better understanding of its potential value in people’s lives