Analyzing the Structural Challenges of Secondary Mathematics Education in Iran through The Lens of The Scale of Level of Didactic Codeterminacy

Document Type : Collected Paper

Author

faezeh rezvanifard

High School Mathematics Teacher at the Ministry of Education

10.22067/tmsj.2025.94916.1069

Abstract

Mathematics education at the secondary level in Iran
faces numerous structural challenges that limit students’ opportunities for meaningful learning.
This study seeks to identify the main barriers affecting the teaching–learning process of mathematics
within the Iranian educational system. It also explores the gap between the goals
outlined in national policy documents, such as the Fundamental Reform Document of Education,
and the realities experienced in classrooms. The study is grounded in the framework
of the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic, using the scale of levels of didactic codeterminacy.
A narrative inquiry approach is adopted to examine mathematics teachers’ perspectives
in relation to global principles proposed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six secondary mathematics teachers.
The findings reveal multi-level challenges, from societal factors to pedagogical practices,
including resource inequality, ineffective human resource policies, misalignment between teachers’ expertise and assigned subjects, and the promotion of students without conceptual mastery.
Overall, the results highlight the need for structural and systematic reform to improve the quality of mathematics education in Iran.

Keywords

Mathematics education

Curriculum

Structural challenges of the educational system

The scale of levels of didactic codeterminacy

NCTM principles

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