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Students’ expression of affect in an inner-city simcalc classroom

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Abstract

This research focuses on some of the affordances provided by SimCalc software, suggesting that its use can have important consequences for students’ mathematical affect and motivation. We describe an episode in an inner-city SimCalc environment illustrating our approach to the study of affect in the mathematics classroom. We infer students’ development of new, effective affective pathways and structures as they participate in conceptually challenging mathematical activities. Our work highlights the roles of dignity and respect in creating an emotionally safe environment for mathematical engagement, and makes explicit some of the complexity of studying affect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urban Education, Rutgers University, 110 Warren Street, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA

    Roberta Y. Schorr

  2. Math, Science & Computer Education Center, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA

    Gerald A. Goldin

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  1. Roberta Y. Schorr
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  2. Gerald A. Goldin
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Correspondence to Roberta Y. Schorr.

Additional information

This article is partly based on work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), grants no. 0138806 (The Newark Public Schools Systemic Initiative in Mathematics) and ESI-0333753 (MetroMath: The Center for Mathematics in America’s Cities), and by a grant from the Lucent Technologies Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF, the Lucent Technologies Foundation, Rutgers University, or the Newark Public Schools.

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Schorr, R.Y., Goldin, G.A. Students’ expression of affect in an inner-city simcalc classroom. Educ Stud Math 68, 131–148 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9117-5

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