Introducing WebQuests in Mathematics: a study of Qatari students' reactions and emotions

There is a need to investigate didactic strategies that can enhance engagement in science and mathematics education. This paper reports on the introduction of WebQuests, as part of collaborative inquiry, to enhance students’ engagement in their mathematics lessons in Qatar. We present interview data gathered from eight student focus groups (grades 5 to 9) before and after the introduction of WebQuest lessons. Constant comparative analysis was used to examine students’ reactions to using WebQuests in developing student-directed learning and collaboration in relation to support for learning. The analysis identified prospective reactions that were often confirmed retrospectively following the WebQuest lessons. These reactions were further analysed as external expressions of affect encoded by trait-like emotions that were similar to Goldin et al.’s (2011) notion of engagement structures. We suggest that the confirmation of reactions and emotions was influenced by students’ levels of tolerance for ambiguity as a common element across engagement structures.