Abstract
In this article we discuss the educational value of engaging mathematics students in a specific form of writing to learn—the keeping of a journal throughout a mathematics course. As the result of an analysis which comprises both conceptual and empirical components, we suggest that journals have the potential to contribute to mathematics instruction in several ways. As the students write the journals, they can be encouraged to express and reflect upon their feelings, knowledge, processes and beliefs about mathematics, and consequently grow along each of these dimensions. By reading their students' journals, teachers may receive a wealth of information about their students and the course, and consequently improve their teaching. Finally, journals can create a new form of dialogue between the teacher and each student, thus allowing for more individualized instruction and a supportive classroom atmosphere.
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Borasi, R., Rose, B.J. Journal writing and mathematics instruction. Educational Studies in Mathematics 20, 347–365 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315606
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00315606