Exploring ways to engage disaffected mathematics students through formative assessment processes with rich tasks

Researchers and educators continue to grapple with how to re-engage mathematics students who evidence disaffection and low achievement in class. In a fine-grained qualitative case study, observations and regular self-reports of six 16-17-year-old early school leavers were analyzed to investigate their responses to cycles of formative assessment activities in the context of rich mathematics tasks. The interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational aspects was found in the students’ situational interest and value appraisal of the activities, dis/engagement related to experiencing activities unfamiliar to them, and the social dimension of engagement in peer-community-building leading to eventual engagement.