Catherine Attard

The Affective Domain and Mathematics Education

This is the third chapter on affective issues to appear in MERGA reviews of research in mathematics education and as such reflects the ongoing importance of affective issues to the mathematics education research community. The first two chapters (Grootenboer, Lomas, & Ingram, 2008; Schuck & Grootenboer, 2004) noted a continuing move away from studies on attitudes to projects on beliefs and the consideration of a broader range of affective aspects. In the current review period, 2008-2011, there is a lessening focus on beliefs, a growing focus on identity, and an even spread of studies on other affective aspects.

Mathematics education and the affective domain

This is the fourth chapter on affective issues to appear in the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) reviews of research in mathematics education. In our review of topics and findings of studies that have been published in Australasia during the period 2012–2015, some themes and issues have been identified that appear noteworthy. Past reviews on affect and mathematics have noted a limited amount of theorising, with many studies providing description of teacher and student perceptions of affective issues. This does not appear to have changed significantly in this period, however it does appear that the foci of affective research within specific topics is beginning to broaden, with a shift in attention on student engagement and attitudes towards mathematics. It is noted that although research has increased in the area of engagement, there have been no substantive explorations of any links between engagement and academic achievement.

Mobile Technologies in the Primary Mathematics Classroom: Engaging or Not?

Many schools invest in mobile technologies or actively promote their use through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs with the expectation that the use of such devices will improve student engagement and, as a result, improve student learning outcomes. However, there is little research to date that explores teacher and student perceptions of whether and how the use of mobile technologies within mathematics classrooms does indeed improve engagement with mathematics. This chapter draws on data from a small range of research projects investigating the use of mobile technologies and associated applications in the primary mathematics classroom. It uses a multidimensional view of engagement and the Framework for Engagement with Mathematics as a lens to re-analyse existing and new data. Issues relating to engagement and the use of mobile technologies will be explored within the context of classrooms where students and many of their teachers are now considered to be ‘digital natives’, and Information and Communication Technologies are an integral and ubiquitous part of their daily lives.