Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies

Peter Arnold Sullivan; Douglas McLean Clarke; Jillian Cheeseman; Angela Mornane; Anne Roche; Carly Sawatzki; Nadia Walker

Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies

Peter Arnold Sullivan, Douglas McLean Clarke, Jillian Cheeseman, Angela Mornane, Anne Roche, Carly Sawatzki, Nadia Walker

Research output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in Book › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

As part of a project exploring various aspects of teachers’ choice and use of challenging mathematics tasks, we sought some responses from students on their preferences for the difficulty of tasks on which they might work and also on the ways of working. Despite the common finding that teachers are reluctant to pose challenges to their students for fear of adverse reactions, many students reported that they prefer tasks to be somewhat challenging and many prefer to work on the tasks before having the process explained by the teacher. An important finding was the diversity of student preferences. There are implications for the information that educators offer to teachers on structuring their lessons.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia
Editors	J Anderson, M Cavanagh, A Prescott
Publisher	Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated
Pages	597-604
Number of pages	8
Publication status	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes
Event	37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia: Curriculum in focus: Research guided practice - Sydney, Sydney, Australia Duration: 29 Jun 2014 → 3 Jul 2014

Conference

Conference	37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia
Abbreviated title	MERGA 2014
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Sydney
Period	29/06/14 → 3/07/14

Access to Document

https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedings/2014_MERGA_CP.aspx

Cite this

Sullivan, P. A., Clarke, D. M., Cheeseman, J., Mornane, A., Roche, A., Sawatzki, C., & Walker, N. (2014). Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies. In J. Anderson, M. Cavanagh, & A. Prescott (Eds.), Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (pp. 597-604). Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated. https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedings/2014_MERGA_CP.aspx

Sullivan, Peter Arnold ; Clarke, Douglas McLean ; Cheeseman, Jillian et al. / Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies. Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. editor / J Anderson ; M Cavanagh ; A Prescott. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, 2014. pp. 597-604

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title = "Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies",

abstract = "As part of a project exploring various aspects of teachers{\textquoteright} choice and use of challenging mathematics tasks, we sought some responses from students on their preferences for the difficulty of tasks on which they might work and also on the ways of working. Despite the common finding that teachers are reluctant to pose challenges to their students for fear of adverse reactions, many students reported that they prefer tasks to be somewhat challenging and many prefer to work on the tasks before having the process explained by the teacher. An important finding was the diversity of student preferences. There are implications for the information that educators offer to teachers on structuring their lessons.",

keywords = "mathematical challenges, student preferences, student motivation",

author = "Sullivan, {Peter Arnold} and Clarke, {Douglas McLean} and Jillian Cheeseman and Angela Mornane and Anne Roche and Carly Sawatzki and Nadia Walker",

year = "2014",

language = "English",

pages = "597--604",

editor = "J Anderson and M Cavanagh and A Prescott",

booktitle = "Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia",

publisher = "Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated",

note = "37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia : Curriculum in focus: Research guided practice, MERGA 2014 ; Conference date: 29-06-2014 Through 03-07-2014",

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Sullivan, PA, Clarke, DM, Cheeseman, J, Mornane, A, Roche, A, Sawatzki, C & Walker, N 2014, Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies. in J Anderson, M Cavanagh & A Prescott (eds), Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, pp. 597-604, 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 29/06/14. <https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedings/2014_MERGA_CP.aspx>

Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies. / Sullivan, Peter Arnold; Clarke, Douglas McLean; Cheeseman, Jillian et al.
Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. ed. / J Anderson; M Cavanagh; A Prescott. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated, 2014. p. 597-604.

Research output: A Conference proceeding or a Chapter in Book › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T1 - Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies

AU - Sullivan, Peter Arnold

AU - Clarke, Douglas McLean

AU - Cheeseman, Jillian

AU - Mornane, Angela

AU - Roche, Anne

AU - Sawatzki, Carly

AU - Walker, Nadia

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - As part of a project exploring various aspects of teachers’ choice and use of challenging mathematics tasks, we sought some responses from students on their preferences for the difficulty of tasks on which they might work and also on the ways of working. Despite the common finding that teachers are reluctant to pose challenges to their students for fear of adverse reactions, many students reported that they prefer tasks to be somewhat challenging and many prefer to work on the tasks before having the process explained by the teacher. An important finding was the diversity of student preferences. There are implications for the information that educators offer to teachers on structuring their lessons.

AB - As part of a project exploring various aspects of teachers’ choice and use of challenging mathematics tasks, we sought some responses from students on their preferences for the difficulty of tasks on which they might work and also on the ways of working. Despite the common finding that teachers are reluctant to pose challenges to their students for fear of adverse reactions, many students reported that they prefer tasks to be somewhat challenging and many prefer to work on the tasks before having the process explained by the teacher. An important finding was the diversity of student preferences. There are implications for the information that educators offer to teachers on structuring their lessons.

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KW - student preferences

KW - student motivation

M3 - Conference contribution

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BT - Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia

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A2 - Cavanagh, M

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Sullivan PA, Clarke DM, Cheeseman J, Mornane A, Roche A, Sawatzki C et al. Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies. In Anderson J, Cavanagh M, Prescott A, editors, Curriculum in Focus: Research Guided Practice: Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Incorporated. 2014. p. 597-604

Students' willingness to engage with mathematical challenges: Implications for classroom pedagogies

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