Collaborative learning tasks to enhance students' mathematical modelling proficiency

The aim of this dissertation was to examine how to enhance students’ mathematical modelling proficiency in lower secondary education with small group tasks. This dissertation reports on three phases of the research.
In the first exploration phase we investigated students’ engagement in the modelling process and the difficulties they experienced. The findings revealed that novice modellers experienced difficulties in accurately solving a mathematical modelling problem. Assumption making was a common challenge encountered in both of the conducted studies.
In the second phase, we developed group tasks based on design principles for modelling and group tasks. We also designed an observation instrument to evaluate the extent to which the tasks had potential to promote modelling and collaboration. In general, the groups performed various modelling activities and collaborated, but paid little attention to making assumptions and validation.
In the third phase, which was an evaluation phase, we examined the effect of a lesson series with collaborative modelling tasks and whole-class debriefings on assumption making on students’ mathematical modelling proficiency, perceived clarity of the task, situational interest and self-efficacy. In one of the intervention conditions, whole-class debriefings emphasized assumption making during group work. In the other condition the teacher discussed the approaches of the groups during the debriefing and did not focus on assumption making. We found an overall increase in test-scores from pre-test to post-test for both conditions, an overall improvement in perceived clarity of the task, situational interest and self-efficacy. We found no significant differences between the two conditions.