Students’ experiences of learner autonomy in mathematics classes

Shipra Sachdeva (1)

1 Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Program for Teacher Education, Trondheim, Norway

This paper presents representative excerpts from post-project interviews conducted with 8th and 9th grade students from a Norwegian countryside school. Interviews attempt to explore students’ experiences of learner autonomy in mathematics classes. These students participated in a larger study where they responded to a pre-project questionnaire followed by solving practical group projects using mathematics and science knowledge and post-project interviews. Preliminary interview analysis reveals that students’ experiences with learner autonomy in mathematics classes are limited to opportunities provided by their teachers together with an insecurity in perceiving themselves as responsible autonomous learners. However, these learners clearly exhibit a desire to acquire autonomy, the potential to suggest changes, and participate in discussions and decisions concerning their mathematics teaching-learning process, together with their teachers.

Mots clés: Student experience; learner autonomy; classroom environment; mathematics instruction

Domaines: Mathématiques [math]; Education

Shipra Sachdeva. Students’ experiences of learner autonomy in mathematics classes. Eleventh Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, Utrecht University, Feb 2019, Utrecht, Netherlands. ⟨hal-02421636⟩