Theoretical Perspectives on Youngsters Solving Mathematical Problems with Technology

Abstract

This chapter offers the perspectives of teachers on youngsters solving mathematical problems with technology during the SUB12 and SUB14 mathematics competitions. Drawing on a series of interviews with teachers who have supported the participation of their students over several editions of the competitions, we identified what they see as the competitions’ most significant features. The teachers spoke about the different kinds of support that are available to youngsters throughout the successive stages of the competitions, from the initial dissemination, to the online Qualifying phases, and lastly to the on-site Final. Based on their statements, the teachers say that they value the type of problems they characterise as challenging, real problems, appropriate for all students and useful as pedagogical resources. They make a distinction between such non-routine and extracurricular problems and the more school-like problems presented in mathematics textbooks. They are favourable to the use of technologies within the competitions, even when admitting initial difficulties that they nevertheless seemed to have overcome over the years. Some of these teachers enthusiastically describe how they sometimes integrated the competition problems into their class teaching and how they helped and encouraged students to use digital technologies for solving and expressing the solutions they submitted. The need to develop mathematical communication is seen as another challenge, and this, say the teachers, gave them the opportunity to explore different mathematical representations with their students. As a final point, several teachers highlighted the fact that youngsters’ participation in the competitions was a motivating factor, contributing to their enjoyment of mathematics and feelings of inclusion in a community gathering many youngsters, parents and teachers around mathematical challenges.