We do this by considering the issues in their contexts, and include therefore multiple perspectives: those of students, prospective teachers and teachers.
In addition, we use mathematical tasks as tools to capture how people think about and communicate in and about mathematics.
Mathematical tasks, as well as those targeting the teaching of mathematics, provide a core for structuring the activities of the group, but allow for a wide range of interests in mathematics education and in pure mathematics. Group members are actively researching a number of topics relating to tasks, including:
- How learners/teachers make sense of different kinds of tasks.
- How different combinations of tasks and pedagogy influence learners’ perceptions and mathematical activity.
- How visual features of task presentation affect activity.
- The design and implementation of task sequences
- The professional learning of prospective and practicing teachers about task design, sequencing, and adaptation.
- The effectiveness of forms of collaboration and communication between task designers, classroom teachers, educators, and policymakers.
Heads of research group
Members
More about the research
The profile of the research group is built around the importance of tasks for mathematics education:
“Attention to task design is important from several perspectives in mathematics education research and practice. From a cognitive perspective, the detail and content of tasks have a significant effect on learning; from a cultural perspective, tasks shape the learners’ experience of the subject and their understanding of the nature of mathematical activity; from a practical perspective, tasks are the bedrock of classroom life, the “things to do.”"
Watson, A., & Ohtani, M. (Eds.). (2015). Task design in mathematics education: An ICMI study 22. Heidelberg: Springer
Projects
Our members are involved in a number of research projects, including two projects funded by the Norwegian Research Council, FINNUT programme:
- Inclusive Mathematics Teaching: Understanding and developing school and classroom strategies for raising attainment
- Teacher Qualification for the 21st century - teachers' professional competence
Other projects:
- Pre-service teachers’ developing theorizing about mathematics teaching during school placement
- Developing a research disposition
- Algebragruppen (Algebra Group)
