This week’s recommendation comes from:
Chris Schunn
Research Liaison
Chris says, “We have known that a good task is really important for math learning. What makes a task so interesting that a student will want to struggle through the challenge points and come out the other side with joy? Read this paper to find out!”
Narrative characteristics of captivating secondary mathematics lessons
Leslie Dietiker, Rashmi Singh, Meghan Riling, Hector I. Nieves, and Erin Barno
“This current study is significant because it shows that a student’s experience depends not only on what a story is about (i.e., its mathematical content) but also on how it is told (i.e., the ways tension between what is known and unknown dynamically shifts across the lesson).” – Leslie Dietiker, Rashmi Singh, Meghan Riling, Hector I. Nieves, and Erin Barno
This paper explores some secondary mathematics classrooms to identify what makes a lesson captivating for students. In particular, the concept of a mathematical story, what this paper refers to as the narrative created by the unfolding mathematical concepts and elements, is discussed. The study goes on to identify eight characteristics that distinguish captivating lesson.