How the word 'mathematical' influences students’ responses to explanation tasks in a dynamic mathematics software environment

Task design is a central issue in mathematics education, not least in relation to digital technology. This paper reports how a smal lbut significant change in wording affects students’ explanatory responses. The study is comparative and involves 229 10th grade students working on tasks designed for a dynamic mathematics software environment. The findings indicate that inclusion of the word ‘mathematical’ prompted students to use algebraic symbols and algebraic arguments, to a higher degree