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  •   Open Research
  • AUT Faculties
  • Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies (Te Ara Auaha)
  • School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences - Te Kura Mātai Pūhanga, Rorohiko, Pāngarau
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Provocative mathematics questions: drawing attention to a lack of attention

Klymchuk, S
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Provocative Mathematics Questions-pre-review.pdf (112.5Kb)
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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/9090
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Abstract
The article investigates the role of attention in the reflective thinking of school mathematics

teachers. It analyses teachers’ ability to pay attention to detail and use their mathematical

knowledge. The vast majority of teachers can be expected to have an excellent

knowledge of mathematical techniques. The question examined here is whether this kind

of knowledge might structure their attention in such a way that the emphasis on procedures

deflects their attention from the essential details. Four groups of participant teachers

from New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany and Ukraine were given a mini-test containing

seven simple mathematics questions. Most questions in the test were provocative in the

sense that they looked like routine questions but in fact had some catch. The results of

the test were startlingçthe vast majority of the participants gave incorrect answers to

most questions in the test. After the test, the participants were given a short questionnaire

to reflect on their performance on the test. Their responses were analysed using the

theories of selective, divided and focused attention and Mason’s concept of the discipline

of noticing. Implementations of the results of the study in assessment and professional

development are discussed.
Keywords
Attention; Assessment; Knowledge; Professional development
Date
June 15, 2015
Source
Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications (2015) 34, 63-70. doi:10.1093/teamat/hru022
Item Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Oxford University Press
DOI
10.1093/teamat/hru022
Publisher's Version
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hru022
Rights Statement
This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in [insert journal title] following peer review. The version of record [insert complete citation information here] is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/teamat/hru022

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