Characteristics of Interesting Mathematics Lessons

• In Event: Learning and Instruction

Abstract

This project targets an age-old problem in mathematics education; namely, how can student interest in mathematics be increased? By comparing the mathematical sequences of lessons that students identify as interesting with those they identify as not interesting, this exploratory study develops insight into the aesthetic qualities of mathematical sequences found in algebra classrooms. To do this, lessons are framed as mathematical stories, complete with mathematical characters and mathematical action in mathematical settings. Developed from the literary theory of Barthes (1974), this framework includes mathematical plot: the felt tension between how information is revealed and withheld from students as the mathematical story unfolds. Differences in both mathematical structure and the combination of codes are reported.

Author

• Leslie Dietiker, Boston University