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Perhaps the Decision of Some Students not to Engage in Learning Mathematics in School is Deliberate

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Abstract

A perceived lack of engagement of many students in middle years mathematics classes provides a challenge for educators. In this article we report a project that investigated students' perceptions of the extent to which their own efforts influence their achievement at mathematics and their life opportunities. We conducted 2 hour interviews with over 50 students, as well as collecting other data. The results suggest that a student's orientation to learning mathematics is not predicted by their achievement. Even students who were confident, successful and persistent exhibited short-term goals. It seems that classroom culture may be an important determinant of under-participation in schooling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. La Trobe University, Bendigo, 199, Bendigo, 3552, Australia

    Peter Sullivan & Steve Tobias

  2. Australian Catholic University, Australia

    Andrea McDonough

Authors
  1. Peter Sullivan
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  2. Steve Tobias
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  3. Andrea McDonough
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Correspondence to Peter Sullivan.

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Sullivan, P., Tobias, S. & McDonough, A. Perhaps the Decision of Some Students not to Engage in Learning Mathematics in School is Deliberate. Educ Stud Math 62, 81–99 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-006-1348-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-006-1348-8

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