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1. Factors that influence student mathematical dispositions

   Riling, M.; Dietiker, L.; Gibson, K.; Tukhtakhunov, I.; Ren, C. (January 2018, Proceedings of the 40th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   Why do secondary students in the US consistently and increasingly report a lack of interest in mathematics? Lack of interest in mathematics has been well documented in TIMSS responses; students dissatisfaction with mathematics more than doubled by 2011, when 40% of 8th graders reported not liking math, up from 18% as 4th graders in 2007. And, sadly, the trend appears to be worsening; in 2015, 47% of 8th graders indicated not liking math, up from 22% as 4th graders. In order to positively impact student attitudes towards mathematics, it is important to understand factors that may influence secondary students’ relationship with the discipline. This poster presents findings from an exploratory study of student disposition toward mathematics. We designed an online survey to learn about students’ relationship with mathematics, including experiences and settings that contribute to both positive and negative feelings about the subject. We surveyed 275 students, grades 9 to 12, in 11 classes in three schools in three New England districts. Though not randomly chosen, this sample allows us to examine student attitudes across a variety of contexts. We asked students about their feelings towards mathematics over the years, as well as which aspects of class they most enjoyed or disliked. Finally, we included items from the TRIPOD survey (Wallace et al., 2016) and the 2015 NAEP survey, which allows us to compare our sample with the national sample. Initial results indicate that student view their teachers and the topics of study as the central factors influencing their enjoyment of mathematics class. We found a correlation between responses that math is boring and that it is not relevant. Students who like math and those who do not reported different class activity preferences. For example, students who like math reported disliking watching a video in class, while students who dislike math reported disliking learning something new. Both groups of students (those who like math and those who do not) dislike math class when they have to present work to classmates, but hold positive views of solving puzzles and working with other students. Technology seems to appeal equally to both groups. Students who reported disliking math also look forward to playing competitive games. We saw no evidence that gender or race corresponded to students’ level of appreciation math. Finally, students reported liking math class less in high school than in middle school. Identifying factors that influence secondary student mathematical dispositions can inform curriculum designers seeking to improve mathematical attitudes. Future studies can learn if new curricular designs can change student relationships with mathematics to reverse recent trends. 

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2. Inservice teachers’ attributions for mathematical success.

   Cross Francis, D.; Jessup, J.; Yavuz, S.; Franklin, J.; Pierce, S.; Gustaveson, A.; Jacobson, E. (October 2023, Proceedings of the 45nd Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   Beliefs teachers hold influence the judgments they make about their students, and opportunities they provide for engaging them in rigorous mathematics. While math-related beliefs have been widely studied, less is known about teachers’ attributional beliefs (i.e., beliefs about people’s actions or behaviors) for mathematical success. In this study we investigated in-service elementary teachers’ stated beliefs about mathematical success. Findings show that teachers attribute mathematical success to factors that are both internal and external to the student. Although teachers explicitly stated that race and gender were not factors, many used descriptors that served as proxies for students’ demographic markers. 

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3. Examining obstacles to mathematics graduate students’ development as teachers. In S. Otten, A. G. Candela, Z. de Arauj., C. Haines, & C. Munter (Eds.), Proceedings of the forty-first annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 490-496). St Louis, MO: University of Missouri.

   Beisiegel, B. (October 2019, Proceedings of the forty-first annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   null (Ed.)

   As the field of professional development for mathematics graduate students evolves, there is a need for research studies that examine how mathematics graduate students develop as teachers. This study aims to fill this gap in the research by studying mathematics graduate students’ experiences with teaching as they progress through their graduate programs. Mathematics graduate students were recruited from a large university mathematics department. They were responded to surveys and were interviewed semi-annually for two or more years. We analyzed their responses using thematic analysis and a framework that captured their development as teachers. In this report, we describe a framework for teachers’ development and context and methods of the study. We present findings on how the framework elucidated mathematics graduate students’ development as teachers and illustrate obstacles to their development. 

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4. It is art: Teacher scaffolding and student problem posing during math walks at an art museum

   Sayed, J; Milton, S; Sager, M; Walkington, C (November 2024, Proceedings of the forty-sixth annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   This study investigates the interactions between informal educators and adolescents during math walk activities at an art museum. “Math walks” are activities where students notice and wonder about mathematics in the world around them, often creating their own “math walk stops” where they ask and answer mathematical questions. Drawing upon theories of informal math learning, scaffolding, and problem-posing, our research aims to enhance understanding of math walk implementation. Through video content, interaction analysis and artifact analysis of participants’ iPad photos, we explore students’ mathematical learning processes and the role of adult facilitators in guiding these activities. Results from a three-day summer camp are given, and findings offer implications for designing effective informal math education programs and fostering meaningful student engagement with mathematics in real-world contexts. 

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5. Investigating problem-posing during math walks in informal learning spaces

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1106676  

   Wang, Min; Walkington, Candace (March 2023, Frontiers in Psychology)

   Informal mathematics learning has been far less studied than informal science learning – but youth can experience and learn about mathematics in their homes and communities. “Math walks” where students learn about how mathematics appears in the world around them, and have the opportunity to create their own math walk stops in their communities, can be a particularly powerful approach to informal mathematics learning. This study implemented an explanatory sequential mixed-method research design to investigate the impact of problem-posing activities in the math walks program on high school students' mathematical outcomes. The program was implemented during the pandemic and was modified to an online program where students met with instructors via online meetings. The researchers analyzed students' problem-posing work, surveyed students' interest in mathematics before and after the program, and compared the complexity of self-generated problems in pre- and post-assessments and different learning activities in the program. The results of the study suggest that students posed more complex problems in free problem-posing activities than in semi-structured problem-posing. Students also posed more complex problems in the post-survey than in the pre-survey. Students' mathematical dispositions did not significantly change from the pre-survey to post-survey, but the qualitative analysis showed that they began thinking more deeply, asking questions, and connecting school content to real-world scenarios. This study provides evidence that the math walks program is an effective approach to informal mathematics learning. The program was successful in helping students develop problem-posing skills and connect mathematical concepts to the world around them. Overall, “math walks” provide a powerful opportunity for informal mathematics learning. 

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