Students' mathematical dispositions: the interrelated role of classroom culture and students' beliefs

The paper reports a year-long study in two sixth-grade classrooms, which differed in teachers’ approach towards mathematical problem solving (i.e., traditional vs reform-based). Tests and questionnaires were used to measure mathematical achievement, problem-solving skills, and mathematics-related beliefs at the beginning and end of the school year. Classroom cultures were unravelled through analyses of videorecordings of all problem-solving lessons during the year. Interviews with teachers and students focused on their perception of the norms in their classroom. The results document the complexity of the relatioships between the classroom culture and students’ beliefs.status: publishe