102091

Secondary Curriculum 2B: Mathematics Extension Stage 6

Assignment 2: Critical Response

By Michael Alex Murgolo

19178149

Western Sydney University

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Contents

Objective Opinion ........................……….………………………………..………...…………......…………… 3

Subjective Opinion .......................……….………………………………..………...…………......…………… 6

Example: Mathematics HSC 2018 ……….………………………………..………...…………......…………… 8

Factsheet ……….……………….....................................………………..………...…………......…….…… 10

References ………………………………………………….…………………………………………….…..…………… 11

MICHAEL ALEX MURGOLO |

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Objective Opinion

How important is modelling with real world applications?

Traditionally, the subject of mathematics has had many students associate it with
the word “difficult”. Under the expectations of parents who want their child to understand a
subject they too struggled with; mathematics teachers are often met with the popular
statement “when will I ever use this stuff?” This is common occurrence experienced in the
classroom as a pre-service, and now accredited, teacher. The doctrine of becoming
mathematically competent needs to be directed, as mentioned by Braiden (2011), to a
process where working through the solution is just as important, if not more, than
producing an answer. High school mathematics needs to show students the relevance of the
topics to their career and tertiary aspirations (Munakata, 2005). While it’s important to keep
in consideration the pedagogical content knowledge that will allow teachers to cater for
students, the relevance to real world applications is necessary to entice students to pursue
the subject at a higher level.

This essay is a critical response to summarising the statements main idea, using
relevant literature based on Australia and Asian research. The material to be discussed is
constructed on objective opinions, which will be concluded with a subjective statement.
With relevance to the literature and statement, the issue will be illustrated with an example
question from the most recent New South Wales Higher School Certificate course, and a
factsheet to relevant stakeholders to inform them of the issues regarding real world
applications in the classroom.

It’s interesting to note that being incompetent in mathematics will cloud your
knowledge of its applications in daily life. Simplistically, learning mathematics will develop
your cognitive thinking into useful ways that it can be used. A study by Areepattamannil &
Kaur (2013) comments that having an educator who supports real world applications of
learning results in students’ scoring significantly higher in mathematics as a factor of
positive influence. The critical role of teachers’ perception of students’ academic abilities,
coupled with an understanding of content fluency in real life applications, will help to

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address inequalities in the classroom by removing the resource barrier and using relational
understanding to apply the ‘thinking’. The link between real life applications and recognising
when to apply mathematics is wholly determined on the enthusiasm of the teacher to
replicate common scenarios that show students how it is used. As recommended by Conboy
& Fonseca (2009) students need to be encouraged to make connections between the new
content and prior knowledge meaningfully so that the real-life applications can be carried
across topic areas.

The second core component for the benefit of real-life applications in mathematics
lessons comes from the expectations of inquiry. When students understand the relationship
between relative content and the application it has been used in, the need to collect visual
evidence and data becomes natural in inquiry process. The intention to translate the
content and have a teacher aid in facilitating a justified response supports the findings and
helps to meet quality teaching standards and the syllabus outcomes as mentioned by NESA
and the DET. The benefit of having relative applications is mentioned by Allmond & Huntly
(2013) to differentiate the collaboration and learning in the classroom by giving autonomy
of student’s groups to differentiating tasks and obtaining data. This process using
pedagogical content such as scaffolding, and Piaget’s learning theory builds on constructive
feedback and the necessity to build quality evidence as a means for proficient reasoning.
Supporting this is Riley & Karnes (1998) who mentioned decades prior that a challenging
environment needs to be provided to students so that they can observe and behave in a
similar manner to mathematician in industry and government. Being able to link content in
a meaningful way and present empirical data will adjust student understanding of
mathematics in a professional environment.

As reflected by Darragh (2013) besides the development of student confidence and

the process of application, teachers need to find other valuable attributes students can
develop instead. When we consider senior criteria including terminology, justification and
creativity, we come to realise that minor implications exist when focussing on modelling
mathematical experiences. When reflecting on the importance of real-world applications,
we must ask ourselves who it is really valuing. The mathematical progress of high-end
students compared to low-end students does not correlate to the understanding of real-

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world applications, rather Hong & Fwe (2013) comment that the “subject matter is viewed
as difficult to grasp and they lack good foundations in mathematical knowledge.”
The holistic approach to education and the causation to acquire deep understanding
should be analysed by the students’ needs and not how to link mathematics within a
domain of inquiry. Not all students are engaged in mathematics and not all teachers are
efficient to develop the resources for units to explore mathematical content in real-world
applications. Averill, Drak and Harvey (2013) mention in their qualitative research on
student views that they preferred a less dominant role of the teacher in facilitating the real-
world applications to understand the importance of discussion, and see different ways the
concepts can be used in the same activity.

In conclusion, the objective opinions brought forward for the benefits of utilising
real-world applications shows promise in improving a teacher’s pedagogy and meeting
proficiency standards. Sustaining the argument, the difficulty of educating in such a way
compromises on the differentiation methods and the value of improving other attributes.
Furthermore, refining the need for real-world applications requires a compromise on how it
is being used and what it aims to achieve, as other pedagogical strategies can help to be
more resourceful. This will help to develop a schema that allows students the skills and
support to critically analyse content and utilise it for relational applications.

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Subjective Opinion

Exams administered by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

has arguably influenced Australian schools to utilise real word applications in the classroom
more prominently since its inception in 2000. Examples from the exam can be manipulated
to formatively test the skills of students in relation to what they learn in school, and how it
applies in real-world situations. Being convinced of the benefits that real-world applications
can be to the development of students critical thinking comes from the pedagogical content
knowledge of Piaget, and the link between the level of cognitive thinking he explains, and
the learning sequence observed in PISA tests.

Based on the studies of Piaget (2019) students should take an active role in the
learning process by interacting with phenomena around them to build knowledge and foster
critical thinking. Fuchs, Fuchs & Courey (2005) comment that educational reforms are
influenced by a nations economical demand for workers who can apply knowledge in
abstract ways. Examples of efficient ways to build mathematical competency is evident in
budgeting and determining energy saving products, of which thinking is taken into a “formal
operational” stage, that is, being able to identify various solutions to problems and their
relation to the world around them.

The procedure of attaining new knowledge into current schemas is known as

assimilation, and often bridges the practical applications of content with its theoretical
reasoning. When assimilating knowledge that a student constructs the real-world
application must trigger a cognitive process that students anticipate, and hence
subsequently determine what is useful analytically from the information (Geiger et. al,
2018). An example of this would be when students study quadratics and want to know the
distance it between intercepts or the maximum height, and how it models something in real
life like throwing a ball. The importance of real-world becomes essential to tying the
conceptual frame with practical methods, and promotes a holistic approach to inquiry-
based learning that is engaging to students.

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Conclusively, the intention through real-world applications is to improve the

connotations of mathematics and show students how it is relative in everyday life. By doing
so the anticipation is that students would feel more inclined to further their knowledge of
the subject in future studies (Portal & Sampson, 2001) and feel more comfortable
participating in discussions in the classroom. Having students achieve academic results is
important to educators, but fostering an environment where students are querying
concepts and observing the relation between content and practicality, will serve better for
their critical thinking and aid in solving unfamiliar problems.

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Example: Mathematics HSC 2018

Understanding the real-world application that simple physical phenomena have on

the schema of a student is evident in last year’s Higher School Certificate investigation on
the length of daylight observed at a certain time of year. The question below is as follows:

Figure 1: Question 15 from the 2018 Higher School Certificate Mathematics course.

The complexity of this question wholly dependent on the understanding of the

sperate topics that apply to this scenario: trigonometry, algebra and equations. When
understanding the relationship between topics, it is easy to understand how the real-world
application estimates the model by increasing the level of thinking of a student. Zelenskiy
(2013) mentions a question posted to high school students in a mathematics journal, that
the different elements of a real-world problem and its solutions can be used for studying
and repetition of critical concepts and skills. The relevance of this satisfies mathematical
conceptual understanding by reflection on periodic graphs, the behaviours of trigonometric
functions and the function of an equation with respect to time, all incorporated into a
realistic phenomenon.

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Furthermore, this question has the potential to build a process of inquiry in other
components, such as differentiating to prove the minimum or maximum daylight value. In
doing so, students can reiterate their theoretical knowledge and confidently build
competency by mathematically proving how they are similar. While it may seem challenging
at first to comprehend to students the relationship between variables, upon scaffolding
similar questions the formal operation of identifying multiple ways to achieving a solution
can be made (Widjaja, 2013). One suggestion that would benefit the learning of students in
attempting this style of questions would be to demonstrate the visual representation of
such a function in a higher marked question, as Macdonald & Cheeseman (2013) mention in
their article that visual stimuli help students gain insights in the essence of a mathematical
application ,and prompt their reasoning in a way that is correctly justified to educators.

Conclusively, comparing how teachers with adequate pedagogical content

knowledge (PCK) and limited PCK would approach this question is dependent on the
confidence of the teacher to illustrate a similar example effectively and their competency in
the subject overall. We can deduce that a teacher with limited knowledge would ask
questions similar to ‘finding’ values rather than ‘reasoning’ why values are limited in the
equation. This structure does comply with procedural thinking but limits the critical thinking
of the student to construct relational understanding. Under an educator with adequate PCK,
question 15 above would be extended beyond the current marking scheme to include, as
mentioned above, other calculus methods to support maxima and minima with
observational justification. The confidence of the teacher is highlighted by their
mathematical competence and the valid use of mathematics to modelling real phenomena
along the extended abstract path of SOLO Taxonomy (1982). It is important as a strong PCK
teacher to know the context of learning in the classroom, and form instruction off students
so that their level of thinking assimilated with the real-world application in which the
content can be moulded to.

MICHAEL ALEX MURGOLO |

 Mathematical modelling is used in less than 23% of
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classrooms consistently.
Shouldn’t learning in the 21st century utilise real-world applications to
demonstrate mathematics to students?

AUSTRALIA
AT A GLANCE

 A country placed second on the UN’s human

Participation in
development Index.
year 12
 Standardized tests show student performance
mathematics is
has stalled.
declining and is
 6 years, on average, between the cognitive load
the lowest in 20
of students in the same year.
years
Yet government funding per student has
increased.

According to Wuolle (2012) these applications improve process-based skills such as collaboration and
reasoning and form a relational connection.

Piaget’s Theory of cognitive development (1936) states that connecting a students’ learning with
their personal life or experience, significantly increases their cognitive ability.

Structure of Observed Learning Outcome

(1982) provides progression in student
thinking and learning in real-world
applications by

Shaping learning experiences.

Providing instant feedback
Linking content to relative concepts.

ARE YOU PART OF THE CHANGE? SUPPORT REAL-

WORLD APPLICATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM!

MICHAEL ALEX MURGOLO |

For more information contact the Western Sydney University Mathematical Institute
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References

Allmond, S., & Huntly, K. (2013). Achievement and Challenges Encountered by Classroom
Teachers Involved in a Research Project: A Reflection. Presented at the 36th annual
conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia,
Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from
https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedi
ngs/2013_MERGA_CP.aspx
Areepattamannil, S., & Kaur, B. (2013). Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions of their Students’
Mathematical Competence: Relations to Mathematics Achievement, Affect, and
Engagement in Singapore and Australia. Presented at the 36th annual conference of
the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Melbourne, Australia.
Retrieved from
https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedi
ngs/2013_MERGA_CP.aspx
Averill, R., Drake, M., & Harvey, R. (2013). Coaching Pre-service Teachers for Teaching
Mathematics: The Views of Students. Presented at the 36th annual conference of the
Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Melbourne, Australia.
Retrieved from
https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedi
ngs/2013_MERGA_CP.aspx
Braiden, D. (2011). To solve or not to solve, that is the problem. Australian Senior
Mathematics Journal, 25(2), 7-13. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1018482338?accountid=36155
Conboy, J. E., & Fonseca, J. M. B. (2009). Student generated recommendations for
enhancing success in secondary science and mathematics. EURASIA Journal of
Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 5(1), 3-14. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/822508488?accountid=36155
Darragh, L. (2013). Sticking With It or Doing It Quickly: What Performances Do We
Encourage in Our Mathematics Learners? Presented at the 36th annual conference of
the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Melbourne, Australia.
Retrieved from

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https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedi
ngs/2013_MERGA_CP.aspx
Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., & Courey, S. J. (2005). Curriculum-based measurement of
mathematics competence: From computation to concepts and applications to real-
life problem solving. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 30(2), 33-46.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/073724770503000204
Geiger, V., Stillman, G., Brown, J., Galbriath, P., & Niss, M. (2018). Using mathematics to
solve real world problems: The role of enablers. Mathematics Education Research
Journal, 30(1), 7-19. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13394-017-0217-3
Hoong, L. Y., Fwe, Y. S., & Guan, T. E. (2013). Four Factors to Consider in Helping Low
Achievers in Mathematics. Presented at the 36th annual conference of the
Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Melbourne, Australia.
Retrieved from
https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedi
ngs/2013_MERGA_CP.aspx
Macdonald, A., & Cheeseman, J. (2013). Visual Stimuli That Prompt Young Children to Notice
Their Mathematical Thinking: Two Researchers’ Experiences. Presented at the 36th
annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia,
Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from
https://www.merga.net.au/Public/Public/Publications/Annual_Conference_Proceedi
ngs/2013_MERGA_CP.aspx
Munakata, M. (2005). Exploring mathematics outside the classroom through the field trip
assignment. Primus, 15(2), 117-123. Retrieved from
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2000). Programme for
International Student Assessment. Retrieved from
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/
Portal, J., & Sampson, L. (2001). Improving high school students' mathematics achievement
through the use of motivational strategies Available from ERIC. (62278411;
ED460854). Retrieved from
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Riley, T. L., & Karnes, F. A. (1998). Mathematics + competitions = A winning formula! Gifted
Child Today Magazine, 21(4), 42-44. Retrieved from
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Verywellmind. (2019). The 4 Stages of Cognitive Development. Retrieved from
https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-development-2795457
Widjaja. W. (2013). Creating Teacher Communities of Inquiry through Lesson Study.
Presented at the 36th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research
Group of Australasia, Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from
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ngs/2013_MERGA_CP.aspx
Zelenskiy, A. S. (2013). Multiple solutions of a problem: Find the best point of the shot.
Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, 27(1), 47-54. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1826526930?accountid=36155

MICHAEL ALEX MURGOLO |