Students’ Verbal Mathematical Communication in the Classroom: A Scoping Review

Verbal mathematical communication helps learners to articulate, justify, and clarify ideas, which are essential for mathematical reasoning and understanding. However, many students struggle to express their thinking verbally in the mathematics classroom. In the Philippine context, low performance in international assessments such as PISA and TIMSS reflects learners’ difficulties in explanation, reasoning, and justification. Despite its significance, there remains limited empirical evidence on clear, observable indicators of students’ verbal mathematical communication. This study addresses this gap by identifying indicators of verbal mathematical communication evident in the literature. This study employed the PRISMA method, yielding 25 qualifying studies from 2020 to 2025. Thematic analysis identified nine emergent themes and 20 behavior-specific indicators. After refinement for clarity, generalizability, and classroom applicability, five indicators and two themes were excluded, resulting in 15 observable indicators across seven themes: explanation of thinking, use of mathematical language, interactive participation, peer collaboration, public sharing, conceptual interpretation, and engagement. The indicators were validated by three mathematics education experts, who evaluated their clarity, relevance, and observability. Based on feedback, revisions were made to improve precision, conceptual alignment, and usability in classroom settings, strengthening the framework’s validity and practicality. The final set of 15 indicators offers a practical tool for monitoring and enhancing students’ verbal mathematical communication. It helps teachers create opportunities to foster reasoning, explanation, and discussion as integral components of learning. The study recommends integrating these indicators into classroom observation, lesson planning, and teacher development programs to promote richer mathematical discourse and improve communication in everyday instruction.

verbal mathematical communication; mathematics education; observable indicators; mathematical communication; classroom discourse

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