Faculty of Education - Research Publications
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 6 of 6
-
ItemAbstracting by Constructing and Revising a 'Partially Correct Construct': A Case Study(Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 2010)This study draws on data from a broader video-stimulated interview study of the role of optimism in collaborative problem solving. It examines the activity of a Grade 5 student, Tom, whose initial constructing activity resulted in a ‘Partially Correct Construct’. Insistent questioning from another group member pressuring for clarification led to Tom developing a ‘more correct construct’ with further potential for revision. This paper raises questions about influences that can stimulate or inhibit construct refinement.
-
ItemSymbiosis between creative mathematical thinking accompanied by high positive affect, and optimism(The International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), 2010-01-01)Video-stimulated post-lesson interviews captured changes in a Grade 5 elementary school student, Tom's, orientation to problem solving. Whilst participating in small group problem solving including reports to the class ('Engaged to Learn' pedagogy), Tom changed from self-focused (Task 1), to group focused (Task 2), and taskfocused (Task 3). He experienced surprise as complexities became apparent in what had appeared to be simple (Task 2), and displayed positive affect during his creative thinking leading to insight (Task 3). Consistent with Seligman's (1995) findings, 'flow' (Csikszentmihalyi, 1992), a state of high positive affect accompanying creative activity was associated with optimism building. Instead of needing to be valued by others to feel successfol, Tom began to internalise his successes as attributes of self.
-
ItemParticipant perspectives of 'Engaged to Learn Pedagogy': does theory match practice?(The International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), 2012-01-01)
-
ItemAssociations between the ontogenesis of confidence and inclination to explore unfamiliar mathematical problems(IPN, Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, 2013)This video-stimulated post-lesson interview study of students displaying confidence in mathematics examines the nature of confidence theoretically by linking it to Seligman’s (1995) indicators of optimism. It also explores the activity of confident students empirically; examining their inclination to explore unfamiliar challenging mathematics problems. Findings include associations between student inclination to explore challenging mathematics problems, and the ontogenesis of their confidence. These findings have implications for the teaching of mathematics: ‘a transmissive teaching approach’ was associated with an absence of the inclination to explore.
-
ItemHigh Performance, Confidence, and Disinclination to Explore: A case study(MERGA, 2013)This video-stimulated interview study of problem-solving activity of a high performing Grade 6 girl who displayed confidence in her mathematical ability, provides a microanalysis of tensions she encountered when her findings using concrete aides did not match her rule application. It highlights her disinclination to explore these inconsistencies. This study points to the problematic nature of pedagogical approaches that develop only instrumental understandings and emphasises the need to explicitly value what policies promote; creative and innovative thinking.
-
ItemChallenges and Opportunities for a STEM Interdisciplinary Agenda(SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG, 2019-01-01)There are increasing calls for the teaching of STEM within inter-disciplinary settings, as a way of engaging students in authentic tasks and innovation. However there have been concerns raised about the impact of inter-disciplinary curricula on mathematics learning particularly, with a concomitant need to conceptualise how mathematics might productively interact with other disciplines in STEM settings. This chapter explores cases of interdisciplinary STEM activity that arose as part of two major Australian STEM professional learning initiatives. It focuses on the variety of curriculum structures that occurred, the challenges for schools and teachers in implementing such structures, and teacher perceptions of their experiences including student engagement. Cases of inter-disciplinary tasks/investigations are presented to explore the different ways in which mathematics is transacted, and to develop a set of principles that should govern the inclusion of mathematics in inter-disciplinary settings. The cases show evidence of increased engagement and enthusiasm of students for STEM project and investigative work, but indicate the challenge for teachers of generating productive and coherent mathematics learning in inter-disciplinary settings. The results also point to institutional and systemic barriers to the wider take-up of interdisciplinary STEM activities.