An approach to teach with variations

Mathematics teachers use typical problems from past examination papers and textbook exercises to develop procedural skills. In this paper, we discuss other uses of typical problems. We focus on the affordances that an experienced teacher, John, perceives in typical problems and how he uses them to enhance student learning by harnessing the idea of teaching with variations or bianshi. Drawing on data from a larger qualitative design-based research on investigating teacher noticing, we present snapshots of John’s classroom practices to show what he noticed about the variations afforded by typical problems and how he used these problems with students to promote both procedural skills and conceptual understanding. Findings suggest the value of supporting teachers in harnessing variations of typical problems, which has implications for teacher education and professional development.