A Genre-Based Approach to Language Learning Progressions Across Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: An Analysis of the Word Problem Genre in the Lebanese National Mathematics Textbook

Abstract

The Lebanese education system operates within a multilingual context, where students learn mathematics in English or French, neither of which is their native language. This language barrier poses a significant challenge for both teaching and learning mathematics, particularly in students’ ability to understand word problems, which constitute a major part of the curriculum in different grade levels. Despite the central role of word problems in teaching and learning, there is a gap in the literature on exploring the characteristics, structures and linguistic features of the word problem genre in Lebanese mathematics textbooks. This study examines the word problem genre in the Lebanese national mathematics textbook series, Building Up Mathematics, focusing on its function, structure, lexicogrammar, and mode of representation. Using a mixed-method design, the study analyzes the distribution of word problems across grades and conducts a qualitative analysis of a stratified sample from Grades 3, 6, and 9. Specifically, the study examines the progressions of language demands of the word problem genre across Lebanese Cycles Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ. The findings show that while word problems consistently function to generate mathematical activity, their linguistic and structural features become increasingly complex across cycles. This progression is reflected in greater contextual sophistication, increased use of complex grammatical and lexical features, increased use of task-oriented structures, and higher representation density through the integration of multiple modes. These changes increase the interpretive demands placed on learners, particularly in multilingual contexts.

The study provides insights into curriculum design, textbook development, and classroom practice by highlighting how language demands are systematically embedded in word problem textbook tasks. It contributes to research on mathematical discourse and genre by demonstrating how the word problem genre develops across school cycles in response to increasing disciplinary demands.