Abstract

In the realm of academic engagement research, students are valuable sources of information to learn how and why students often engage unproductively in mathematics group work. However, although secondary mathematics students are often expected to engage in meaningful mathematical discourse in a small group setting, little research has been conducted to better understand student engagement in this setting from the perspective of the students themselves. This thesis attempts to understand how one junior high student described his own engagement in mathematics small group work as well as what factors influenced this engagement. By conducting several cycles of observations and interviews followed by qualitative analysis, we learned how this student engaged in a variety of ways in group work; on different occasions (and sometimes within the same class period), he talked with his peers about mathematics, remained silent, played on his phone, connected with peers across the room, and pursued off-topic conversation with his group mates. We also discovered that the student participant as well as his peers often ceased to engage productively when they encountered mathematics that they deemed too difficult. Several other factors impacted his engagement in complex ways, including his familiarity with group mates, fear of being singled out, and access to adequate help from a teacher. These results may inform researchers of new data collection and analysis methods to gain insights into student engagement and teachers of ways in which they may adapt instruction to better encourage students to engage productively.

Degree

College and Department

Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Mathematics Education

Rights

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