Conference:
ECER 2008
Format:
Symposium Paper
Session Information
03 SES 09A, Mathematics Textbooks, Mathematical Tasks and Pupil Identity: An International Perspective
Symposium
Time:
2008-09-12
10:30-12:00
Room:
B2 216
Chair:
Birgit Pepin
Discussant:
Wilmad Kuiper
Contribution
The mathematics textbook is an instrument for teaching and learning mathematics. Whereas a number of studies have examined the use of mathematics textbooks by teachers there is a dearth of research into the use of mathematics textbooks by students. In this paper results of an empirical investigation of the use of mathematics textbooks by students are presented. Firstly, a method to collect data on student’s use of mathematics textbooks is introduced. The difficulty of obtaining data on students working from textbooks is one reason that the literature put forward in order to explain the dearth of research into student’s use of texts. Therefore, developing an appropriate methodology to collect data on student’s use of mathematics textbooks can be regarded as a major issue in this field. A methodological framework is introduced that is capable to explore the use of the mathematics textbook by students. Secondly, results from the study in two 6th grade and two 12th grade classes in two German secondary schools are presented. The results focus on typical self-directed uses of the mathematics textbook by students. These uses of the textbook by students reveal interesting insights into student’s dispositions towards mathematics. Only in a very few cases do students regard mathematics as something that has to be understood, but rather as learning rules and reproducing worked examples.
References
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