What students value in effective mathematics learning: A ‘third wave project’ research study

Abstract

Considerations of how mathematics can be effectively taught and learnt may be cognitive, affective or sociocultural in approach. ‘What students value in effective mathematics learning’ is a research study of the Third Wave Project, an international consortium of research teams adopting a sociocultural approach to investigate the harnessing of relevant values to optimise school mathematics teaching and learning. This paper seeks to contextualise the study, as part of the study examines what the high-achieving East Asian mathematics students value. The study is framed by knowledge relating to the relative cultural influence on effectiveness in mathematics learning, Alan Bishop’s values in math..