Instructional Moves that Increase Chances of Engaging All Students in Learning Mathematics

Janette Bobis, James Russo, Ann Downton, Maggie Feng, Sharyn Livy, Melody McCormick and Peter Sullivan
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Janette Bobis: Sydney School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
James Russo: Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Ann Downton: Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Maggie Feng: Sydney School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Sharyn Livy: Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Melody McCormick: Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Peter Sullivan: Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia

Mathematics, 2021, vol. 9, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: Despite the construct of challenge being recognized as an essential element of mathematics instruction, concerns have been raised about whether such approaches benefit students with diverse academic needs. In this article, we focus on the beliefs and instructional practices of teachers teaching students in the first three years of school (5 to 8 years of age). These teachers participated in professional learning focused on challenging mathematical tasks differentiated through their open-ended design and the use of enabling and extending prompts. The instructional practices are explained using the Theory of Didactical Situations. Questionnaire data from pre-intervention ( n = 148) and post-intervention ( n = 100) groups of teachers indicated that teachers in the post-intervention group held more negative beliefs than those in the pre-intervention group about the capability of instructional approaches involving a priori grouping of students by performance levels. Interviews with ten teachers from the post-intervention group revealed and characterized the ways teachers employed open-ended tasks with enabling and extending prompts to engage all learners. Findings reveal that teachers knowing their students as individual learners accompanied by knowledge of a range of teaching practices to differentiate instruction are central to engaging all learners.

Keywords: differentiation; challenge; struggle; didactical; a-didactical; responsive teaching; growth mindset; student-centered instruction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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