This study follows two earlier studies of school students' abilities to draw inferences when comparing two datasets presented in graphical form (Watson and Moritz, 1999; Watson, 2001). Using the same interview protocol with a new sample of 60 students, 20 from each of grades 3,6 and 9, cognitive conflict was introduced in the form of video clips of reasoning expressed by students in the earlier studies. This methodology was intended to mimic the type of argumentation that might take place in the classroom but in a controlled setting where identical arguments could be presented to different students. Interviews were videotaped and analysed in a similar fashion to the earlier studies in order to document change associated with the presentation of cognitive conflict. Change was documented with respect to the levels of observed response for two parts of the protocol and for the use of displayed variation in the graphs. Implications of the methodology for future research and teaching are discussed.
History
Publication title
Educational Studies in Mathematics: an international journal
Volume
51
Pagination
225-256
ISSN
0013-1954
Department/School
Faculty of Education
Publisher
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Place of publication
Netherlands
Rights statement
The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com
Repository Status
Restricted
Socio-economic Objectives
Other education and training not elsewhere classified