Examination of Secondary Teachers' Challenges in Recognizing, Selecting, Solving, and Implementing Mathematical Tasks at Different Levels of Cognitive Demand

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: Influences on the Secondary Mathematics Classroom

Abstract

This study examined in-service secondary school mathematics and science teachers’ challenges in implementing cognitively demanding tasks. Stein et al. (2000) utilize the construct of cognitive demand to categorize tasks into four main levels: memorization, procedures without connections, procedures with connections, and doing mathematics/science. This qualitative study was conducted during a professional development workshop held at a local university located on the U.S.-Mexico border with predominantly Hispanic student population (U.S. Census Bureau). The study employed a cognitive demand survey, classroom observations, and structured interviews to identify main challenges teachers face while implementing cognitively demanding tasks: 1) challenges related to student knowledge, 2) challenges related to English language learners, 3) challenges related to teacher knowledge, and 4) challenges related to standardized testing.

Authors

• Angelica Monarrez, University of Texas at El Paso

• Mourat Tchoshanov, The University of Texas - El Paso