Comparing curriculum coherence and student coherence seeking: a secondary analysis of the TIMSS video study

Abstract

In this study, we report results from a secondary analysis of United States data from the widely recognized Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study. In this study, we re-examine the United States TIMSS video data, investigating how students grapple with inconsistencies and connect ideas in lessons with strong and weak conceptual coherence. We find evidence that students attempt to seek coherence despite, or even in response to, weak lesson coherence. These findings suggest a more complex relationship between student reasoning and curriculum coherence than previously acknowledged.