{"title":"Investigating the cognitive demand levels in probability and counting principles learning tasks from an online mathematics textbook","authors":"George Ekol, Simphiwe Mlotshwa","doi":"10.4102/pythagoras.v43i1.677","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This case study carried out during the 2020 coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown used online data collection means to investigate the distribution of cognitive demand levels of probability and counting principles (PCP) learning tasks in a popular online Grade 12 mathematics textbook, based on the PCP teachers’ rating. The teachers’ cognitive demand ratings were categorised following Stein’s mathematical task framework. Five mathematics teachers from four secondary schools in two provinces in South Africa participated in the study by filling in an online questionnaire. We developed a rating framework named the mean cognitive demand rating (MCDR) to help us interpret the teachers’ perception of the tasks in terms of cognitive demand to the learners. Data from the teachers’ ratings revealed nearly 65% of the PCP learning tasks in the online textbook were rated as high. Analysis of secondary data from Department of Basic Education diagnostic reports from 2014 to 2020, however, suggests no association between teachers’ rating of learning tasks and learner performance. Contribution: This study draws attention to a long-standing underperformance in the topic of probability and suggests classroom-based study that focuses on the learners’ rating of the learning tasks themselves to understand clearly how best to support them.","PeriodicalId":43521,"journal":{"name":"Pythagoras","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2022-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pythagoras","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4102/pythagoras.v43i1.677","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This case study carried out during the 2020 coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown used online data collection means to investigate the distribution of cognitive demand levels of probability and counting principles (PCP) learning tasks in a popular online Grade 12 mathematics textbook, based on the PCP teachers’ rating. The teachers’ cognitive demand ratings were categorised following Stein’s mathematical task framework. Five mathematics teachers from four secondary schools in two provinces in South Africa participated in the study by filling in an online questionnaire. We developed a rating framework named the mean cognitive demand rating (MCDR) to help us interpret the teachers’ perception of the tasks in terms of cognitive demand to the learners. Data from the teachers’ ratings revealed nearly 65% of the PCP learning tasks in the online textbook were rated as high. Analysis of secondary data from Department of Basic Education diagnostic reports from 2014 to 2020, however, suggests no association between teachers’ rating of learning tasks and learner performance. Contribution: This study draws attention to a long-standing underperformance in the topic of probability and suggests classroom-based study that focuses on the learners’ rating of the learning tasks themselves to understand clearly how best to support them.
期刊介绍:
Pythagoras is a scholarly research journal that provides a forum for the presentation and critical discussion of current research and developments in mathematics education at both national and international level. Pythagoras publishes articles that significantly contribute to our understanding of mathematics teaching, learning and curriculum studies, including reports of research (experiments, case studies, surveys, philosophical and historical studies, etc.), critical analyses of school mathematics curricular and teacher development initiatives, literature reviews, theoretical analyses, exposition of mathematical thinking (mathematical practices) and commentaries on issues relating to the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels of education.