Students' Use of Math in Different Contexts: An Exploration of Responses to a Utility-Value Intervention

• In Event: Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Approaches to Studying Motivation

Abstract

Utility-value interventions have proven effective in helping students find relevance in their math learning. Still, students sometimes have difficulty connecting to examples of math use. In this qualitative, exploratory study, we investigated students’ responses to an intervention prompting them to think about how they use math in various contexts (i.e., outside of school, in other classes, in the future). We used an inductive code-mapping process to organize their responses by how they identified their math use. Then, we conducted a thematic analysis looking across themes and prompts, finding that some prompts resulted in greater variety, specificity, and types of math described. These findings provide insights into how students think about using math, with implications for the design of future interventions.

Authors

• Nikki G. Lobczowski, University of Pittsburgh

• J. Elizabeth Richey, Carnegie Mellon University

• Michael W. Asher, University of Wisconsin

• Judith Harackiewicz, University of Wisconsin

• Kenneth R. Koedinger, Carnegie Mellon University