PUPILS’ PERSPECTIVES ON

LEARNING MATHEMATICS
By : Siti Mawaddah
Introduction
 The way that pupils are perceived within a
classroom depends on their positional identity.
 Pupils’ positional identities are formed in response
to how they participate in classroom activities and
how that participation is seen by themselves and
others.
 But how do pupils become positioned as successful
or unsuccessful learners? What are the issues that
have value within the classroom that have an impact
on their positional identity?
The study

The research reported here was part of a larger

study that was concerned with exploring pupils’
perspectives on their mathematics classrooms.
Findings

The experiences that impacted on the pupils’

positional identity related to the school’s systems of
setting, assessment and rewards.
Positioning in a set
 Historically the pupils were allocated to sets based on teacher
assessment and sometimes an internally written and administered
test.
 in the hands of the teachers and it had a direct impact on the pupils
perceived mathematical competence. If the pupils were placed in a
set in which they felt comfortable then it confirmed their feelings
about themselves and helped to create a positional identity as a
successful learner.
 However, if they were placed in a set that they deemed
inappropriate then they started to question their perceived identity.
 Success is looked at if pupil gets good rank. Here their centre
important position is at class when get good value.
Illustrated

SUCCES,
YEAHH

HEIII

3 1 2
Positioning by assessment
 The types of assessment the pupils talked about were both formal
and informal, all being summative rather than formative, and an
assessment of learning rather than an assessment for learning.
 The pupils positioning as successful learners, therefore, was in
competition with their peers and was a consequence of them
achieving high marks, rather than demonstrating understanding
or competent mathematical behaviour.
 The pupils’ approach to learning was competency based with
performance goals rather than learning goals
 They position success when get good value between all friends
coeval it existing class room.
Illustrated

AM NOT
SUCCES
S?
YEAH, I’M
SUCCESS

100

90 60
50
Positioning by rewards
 Pupil position success is get some rewards or praise.
 when rewards are used to get someone to engage in some

activity, the probability of subsequent disillusionment with the

activity increases significantly.
 be more persistent when they find work challenging;

• spend more time on tasks;

• use more complex processing and monitor their comprehension;
• select more challenging tasks;
• employ greater creativity; and
• take risks.
Illustrated

i want to
study
hard Thank Hey, you’re
again!! you  so amazing
Implications
 The pupils were initially positioned as successful (or unsuccessful) learners of
mathematics by their set allocation. They appeared to be constantly making judgements
about their performance but did not perceive these judgements as lying within their
personal authority. Instead, they relied on the authority of the teacher who placed them
in the set and then marked and commented on their work.
 focused on learning in the classroom rather than results, found the pupils ‘were much
better prepared to take the statutory tests in their stride
 The pupils are encouraged to discuss their answers and the processes they have used. All
comments are open to discussion but are not labelled right or wrong.
 If pupils are to be encouraged to think mathematically and to develop learning goals
rather than performance goals then these findings suggest that the type of summative
assessment
 important for considering mathematics teacher what they want to reach for entrant
educates. do they want to learn just for can produce develop technique and know-how
that will make them to will get true answer? or what them want independent thinker that
can break problem and see various means to achieve solution?
 ILLUSTRATION
RANKIN
G 1, 2, 3

VALUE?
? HOW TO SOLVE