Mathematics is thematically unified by the constituents of functions, relationships, and patterns. Students, from the earliest of ages, ought to be invigorated to examine patterns found in shapes, expressions, and numbers which then allows them to make mathematical discoveries. Children should be provided with opportunities to create, analyze and extend a variety of mathematical patterns and use pattern-based thinking to represent and understand real-world mathematical phenomena. As Lesh, Hamilton, and Kaput (2007, pp. 116) note, these explorations then present them with unlimited opportunities to make and verify generalizations, solve problems, build an understanding and confidence in mathematics. In part then, the realization of these goals may be premised upon the comprehension of graphs.
Novel approaches proposed for the teaching of mathematics are premised on the need for adequate preparation of students for the rapidly changing world. In part, these approaches include a shift of teaching models to a more ‘transformative’ style designated for meeting the 21st-century demands (Bell, 2016, p. 51). Novel styles allow for the premising of the perceptions of learning around it being a process that uses prior interpretations to construe either revised or new interpretations of the meaning of one’s experiences can then help guide their actions in the future. Transformative approaches place more weight on addressing the challenges surrounding the delivery of skills and content in a productive manner that improves the learning outcomes of students (Rotherham & Willingham, 2010, pp. 18; Silva, 2009, pp. 634). One of these transformative approaches is the use of comics.
Comics is a media approach to teaching which presents ideas (humorous or non-humorous, imaginary or realistic) through a series of cartoon-like visual images which convey important messages (Toh et al., 2016, pp. 242). Characteristically, comics allow for the enhancement and extension of textual communication by allowing reader creation and understanding of the context of the comic text after being attracted to its visual images. As Pratt (2009, pp. 110) notes, comic visuals instrumentally help guide the perception of readers on contextual spatial relationships. Comics allow student construction of knowledge in multiple modalities thus preparing them for the unknows of the future (Bolton-Gary, 2012, pp. 391). Comic humor is used in an attempt of capturing the attention of and impressing its readers, thus drawing attention to fundamental mathematical ideas (Toh et al., 2017, pp. 440).
Humor leads to the establishment of connection between informational processing of students through the creation of both a conducive and welcoming atmosphere for the learning of mathematical concepts; it also encourages student retention of information (Segrist & Jupp, 2015, pp. 16). The use of humorous examples in comics for the illustration of the concepts of distance and time during lessons allows for the retention of concepts in the long run (Kaplan & Pascoe, 1977, pp. 61). Comics have been found to attract higher interest and motivation of students (Toh et al., 2017, pp. 440). Comics reduce reported student’s anxiety levels in mathematics (Şengül & Dereli, 2010, pp. 2179). They also increase the level of enjoyment and engagement for teachers in pre-service terms when exposed during mathematical course contents (Cho, Osborne & Sanders, 2015, pp. 46). Comic application can include enticement for children less motivated in mathematical concepts.
While comics were banned from schools in the past premised on them being perceived as ‘enemies’ to the learning process, their potential in developing the interest of students in various academic subjects continues to realized (Wanzer, Frymier & Irwin, 2010, pp. 3). Their use does not necessarily have to distract children to the learning process if their construction is appropriately based on sound pedagogical principles (Toh et al., 2017, pp. 440). These include compelling storyline contextual situating to arouse student interest and meaningful bridging between the real-life experiences of students and the concepts of mathematics. Content is never ‘diluted’ by the use of comics and cartoons at the expenses of increasing the levels of motivation and engagement among students. Comics can also be used as a useful tool to convey more significant amounts of information in a short time.
Graphing is used to simplistically and representatively display data to aid in the analysis of relationships between variables (Wavering, 1989, p. 373). Studies into the graphing abilities of school going children postulate the themes of the graphical measuring and reading abilities of these children and the logical reasoning behind these processes. For example, in Pratt’s (2009, pp. 110) study of graphical perception among school-going children, his findings postulate a continuum of aspects judged in a rank of accuracy from the most to least accurately judged being: graphical positioning along common scales, graphical positioning on identical but non-aligned scales, length, angling, sloping, area, volume, densities, color saturation and color hues. Cleveland and McGill (1985, pp. 828) note that while line graphs are the most difficult to interpret among school-going children, two-dimensional graphs and circular graphs are easily interpreted. These results are echoed in Peterson and Schramm’s (1954, pp. 182) research that found line graphs being highly inaccurately read, with a 0.55 participant correlation between numerical reasoning and the ability to interpret graphs.
Culbertson and Powers (1959, pp. 99) postulated the reasons underlying difficulties in construction, reading and interpreting line graphs being their abstract representation of data and sparseness of information. The TOGS test of Padilla et al., (1986, pp. 22) developed for the measurement of graphing skills in math and science (more so the construction and interpretation of graphs) realized that student in grades 7-12 had incrementally higher graphing skills. These results were echoed by Wavering’s, (1989, pp. 374) who postulated an incremental reasoning pattern among children at various levels in the interpretation of line graphs. The continued teacher understanding of student logical reasoning processes of distance-time graphs is crucial to comprehending the reasons for faulty graph construction and misinterpretation allowing for the development of practical approaches to help their students better grasp the graphical concepts.
However, a significant realization made is on the lack of efforts concerted towards the developments of mathematics instructional materials based on comics among the teaching fraternity. There exists a limit to the number of studies conducted on the usefulness of the use of comics for the teaching of mathematical concepts among British students. The use of comics in the teaching of mathematical concepts is an area worth exploring as studies elsewhere (such as Singapore) have proved its usefulness in increasing motivation and engagement among school going children.
