Journal of Research in Mathematics Education

Development of Didactic Analysis Competence in Prospective Mathematics Teachers

Bethzabe Cotrado, María Burgos, Pablo Beltrán-Pellicer, Alfredo Carlos Castro — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

In this article, we describe the implementation and results of a formative experience with prospective mathematics teachers, focused on developing the competence for didactic-mathematical analysis of curriculum materials, specifically student workbooks related to probability. The research design follows a methodological approach typical of design-based research, utilizing content analysis to examine participants' responses. The study was conducted with 16 Peruvian students preparing to become mathematics teachers at the National University of the Altiplano. The responses from the prospective teachers revealed deficiencies in their common content knowledge. They also encountered difficulties in distinguishing mathematical practices and recognizing the mathematical objects involved in the study process, especially propositions and their respective arguments. Furthermore, they struggled to differentiate between intuitive, classical, and frequentist meanings of probability. To improve these outcomes, it is necessary to reinforce didactic-mathematical knowledge regarding probability.

Analysis on the Use of Gamification in Mathematics in Primary education: A Literature Review

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Gamification is presented in the scientific literature as a promising method in education for improving academic performance, student engagement and scholars’ motivation. In the field of mathematics, this method is introduced as a way to enhance learning and perception of the subject. In the literature, it is distinguished between shallow, deep and total gamification, understanding that the use of one or another would not evenly affect student motivation and, therefore, their learning process. This is what settles the aim of this study, which is to provide a clearer understanding of how gamification in mathematics is being implemented in schools. Furthermore, the objective is to determine the most common type of gamification employed in studies that carry out gamification interventions with primary education students in the field of mathematics through a systematic review. The results show that a significant part of the interventions are of shallow nature, and that the gamification used in the analyzed studies merely represents a change of the support in the development of still a traditional approach.

The Image of the Mathematics Teachers in High School Students

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This study aims to explore the perceptions of high school students at risk of academic failure regarding their mathematics teachers, using drawings and related questions to gather detailed information. The perception of these students can provide valuable insights into the potential role of teachers in students’ academic failure. Analyzing the meanings behind the drawings is crucial for addressing challenges associated with negative images that students may have of their mathematics teachers. The close relationship between the drawings and the personal experiences of students highlights the significant influence of this task on individual perceptions of mathematics teaching.

Students’ Motivation, Learning Strategies, and Math Performance in the Modular Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This study assessed the motivation, learning strategies, and academic performance of Grade 11 modular-based students in General Mathematics in identified secondary schools as a basis for a proposed performance enhancement plan. There were 624 Grade 11 students across three public senior high schools in Cebu who were determined using stratified random sampling. The respondents were asked to answer the adopted survey questionnaire on “Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)” by Pintrich et al. (1991) to assess the learners' motivational levels and learning strategies while their second quarter grades were used as a datum reference to evaluate the strength of correlation. Data gathered were statistically treated using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, rank, and Chi-square test of independence. Results revealed that the respondents had motivational levels classified as moderately motivated; meanwhile, under the learning strategies, the respondents agreed on the methods employed towards learning General Mathematics. The overall general mathematics average among 624 students is 88.44 with a standard deviation of 5.76, indicating that they had very satisfactory performance in General Mathematics. Thus, a performance enhancement plan was crafted to improve both motivational levels and learning strategies.