Religious Practices and Mathematical Problem Solving: The Role of Problem Context in Rational Number Understanding

• In Event: Roundtable Session 24
  In Roundtable Session: Identities Matter: Considering Ourselves and Learning in Relation to the World

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to explore the relationship between problem context and problem-solving performance among children whose families tithe (give 10% of their earnings to the church). We conducted semi-structured interviews with parents from 16 tithing families to document their tithing engagement, as well as problem-solving interviews with 30 of their children to explore differences in performance across problems that vary in context, mathematical content/form, and task difficulty. Analyses indicate that children experienced greater success with problems presented in a tithing context than a more general, school-like context. We explore tithing supports that exist in the home and church settings to consider the role such supports might play in children’s performance on tithing context questions.

Authors

• Tracy Dobie, Northwestern University

• Edd V. Taylor, University of Colorado - Boulder