Mathematic Teachers’ Lived Experiences of Teachable Moments

Abstract

This study emerged from a deeply felt tension rooted in my lived experiences as a teacher—moments when unexpected insights and connections surfaced in the classroom, calling forth profound questions about their essence and transformative potential. The study sought to interpret K–12 mathematics teachers’ lived experiences with teachable moments. More specifically: What is it like for K–12 teachers teaching mathematics to experience teachable moments? How is it like for these teachers to notice teachable moments? In what ways do these teachers take up teachable moments? The study adopted a pragmatic hermeneutic phenomenological approach, offering a dialogical pathway that illuminated the essence of participants’ lived experiences while embracing the relational and contextual nuances of their teaching practice. Open-ended interviews captured six participants’ lived experiences, with thematic analysis distilling their essence into crafted narratives from which eight themes emerged: noticing students' gaps in mathematics understanding, noticing students’ needs, engaging in dialoging and discussing with and among students, noticing students’ mistakes and opportunities to learn, questioning and broadening teachers’ understanding of mathematics content, bringing real-world applications into teaching, practicing self-reflection and continuous self-improvement, and noticing the emotional aspect of learning mathematics. Findings revealed teachable moments as relational and interpretive, transforming the ordinary into meaningful learning through shared engagement. Teachers described noticing as a reflective, attuned process requiring awareness of subtle classroom dynamics. These moments emerged as adaptive, collaborative practices, fostering empowerment, belonging, and capability beyond transactional teaching.