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What students value in effective mathematics learning: a ‘Third Wave Project’ research study

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Abstract

Considerations of how mathematics can be effectively taught and learnt may be cognitive, affective or sociocultural in approach. ‘What students value in effective mathematics learning’ is a research study of the Third Wave Project, an international consortium of research teams adopting a sociocultural approach to investigate the harnessing of relevant values to optimise school mathematics teaching and learning. This paper seeks to contextualise the study, as part of the study examines what the high-achieving East Asian mathematics students value. The study is framed by knowledge relating to the relative cultural influence on effectiveness in mathematics learning, Alan Bishop’s values in mathematics education and the role of interactions in education, in particular David Tripp’s idea of critical incidents as reflecting professional judgement (and, thus, underlying values). Features of the innovative qualitative research design are also presented, which include the facilitation of photo-voice, the argument for an international collaborative team and focus group interviews for all values research, and a two-stage data analysis process aimed at clarifying both etic and emic perspectives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Frankston, Australia

    Wee Tiong Seah

  2. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Ngai Ying Wong

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  1. Wee Tiong Seah
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  2. Ngai Ying Wong
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Correspondence to Wee Tiong Seah.

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Seah, W.T., Wong, N.Y. What students value in effective mathematics learning: a ‘Third Wave Project’ research study. ZDM Mathematics Education 44, 33–43 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-012-0391-4

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