The Interrelationship of Diagnosis and Teaching: Developing a Process Model Incorporating Knowledge of Educational Diagnostics and Individual Education Plans

Abstract

One of the most important skills teachers must have is the ability to adapt classroom teaching to suit pupil abilities, which involves both diagnosis and teaching. Researchers in the field of mathematics education tend to take one of two theoretical approaches. One is based on pedagogical diagnostics and research into teaching quality. The other has its origin in special education and focuses on individual education plans, “Förderdiagnostik” in German. These approaches have divergent priorities and objectives and their differences have yet to be systematically analyzed. The interrelationship between diagnosis and teaching and the professional knowledge these activities require has also not been considered in detail. This paper reviews selected aspects of the pedagogical diagnostic approach and the “Förderdiagnostik” approach as they apply to mathematics education. The analysis reveals that there is often no theoretical basis for evaluating educational assessments and teacher decision making. A process model is developed demonstrating that in each phase—diagnosis, educational assessment, educational decision and teaching—the relevant professional knowledge (diagnostic knowledge, mathematical knowledge for teaching) is important. In addition, the results indicate that the skills required to fulfill one objective, such as the assessment of pupil achievement levels, can be very different from those required for assessing a pupil’s individual support requirements. This paper makes an important contribution to the conceptual framework of the relationship between diagnosis and mathematics teaching.