- MERGA

Student Beliefs & Their Impact on Participation in Mathematics in the Middle School
Robyn Turner-HarrisonThis round table discussion will focus on a proposed study of middle school children’s beliefs about their participation in mathematics classrooms. In the study the motivation of students when undertaking mathematics tasks, and the influence of motivation on strategies for coping with frustration when experiencing difficulties, will be investigated. It is suspected that some students may not have established perceptions of the benefits of being competent in mathematics, nor be aware that there is potential for them to be empowered by competency. One determinant of participation in education is student perceptions of goals, and the influence that perceptions play on motivation. Students who feel in control of their lives are more likely to have opportunities for success both within schools and without (Lapadat, 1998). Dweck (2000) investigated perceptions of intelligence and contended that students may hold beliefs that inhibit their participation at school; that students can be taught that both intelligence is incremental and a mastery orientation can be taught through explicit instruction. Students of one grade six class will complete an assessment in which each task is incrementally harder to complete. Once each task is completed, they will be asked to evaluate their work. If correct they will continue to the next task. If not, they will be asked how they feel, and what teaching they require in order to continue. Various background data will be gathered to seek to identify contributing factors, and a survey adapted from Dweck’s instrument will seek data on their beliefs concerning mathematical intelligence.

Reviewing of research papers

Research papers will be blind reviewed by a panel of peers approved by the conference committee. The main purpose of the refereeing process is to contribute to the growth and development of quality practice in mathematics education research. Thus reviewers are asked to assist authors by providing helpful feedback and to comment on the suitability of papers for presentation at the conference. Accordingly, it will not be assumed that published papers presented at the conference will be as polished as articles in scholarly journals. Referees will be asked to assess papers being reviewed against the accepted norms for scholarly works presented at MERGA conferences, as set out above.

Each conference proceedings’ Editorial Team will exercise discretion over the reviewing process.

Reviewers’ comments will be returned to the authors. Authors whose papers are not accepted for publication may be invited by the editorial panel to present their paper at the conference, with an abstract (only) being published in the proceedings. Papers may be rejected outright, with no opportunity for presentation at the conference in an alternative form.

The MERGA website has detailed advice about criteria for reviewing of MERGA papers, review forms, and examples of strong and poor reviews of different types.

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