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When Traditional Won't Do: Experiences from a “Lower-Level” Mathematics Classroom

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 83; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00098655.2010.484439

1939-912X

Crystal Antoinette Hill,

Education and Critical Thinking Development

As the last bell rings, students scurry to their respective classrooms, doors begin to close, and the class period begins. Imagine that you are in the hallway of the school and you look into an advanced mathematics class, into an Algebra I, Part I, mathematics class (a course designed for students who have not found success in mathematics). What would you see? What type of instructional strategies and learning activities would you expect to take place in each of these classrooms? Research suggests that the activities in most “lower-level” mathematics classes require simple memory and comprehension skills, whereas classroom activities in so-called advanced classes are more likely to foster critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to generalize (CitationHill 2008, 39).