Thesis abstract:

«p»The propensity for young people to disengage with mathematics during their junior secondary years of schooling has been extensively documented (Clarke, 2004; Martin et al., 2015; Smith, Ladewig, & Prinsley, 2018). A range of causal and contributing factors has been suggested, including socio-demographic variables, the background environments at home, in the classroom and at the school (Martin et al., 2015, p. 200) as well as the attitudes and dispositions of parents and teachers (AAMT, 2015; Watt, Madjar, & Dacosta, 2024). It has also been noted that students often perceive much of the secondary-school mathematical content as having little relevance to their current everyday lives and their envisaged future occupations (Goos, Renshaw, & Galbraith, 1998, p. 20; Swan, 2005, p. 3).Motivation and engagement are fundamental components of the learning process across all stages of education (Chi & Wylie, 2014; Finn & Zimmer, 2012; Martin et al, 2012). Finn and Zimmer contend that manipulation of engagement behaviours to enhance educational performance “provides significant payoff for students at risk of school-failure” (2012, p. 97). Distinctions are commonly made between “behavioural engagement” (getting students to firstly turn up for class and then “actually do the work”); “affective engagement” (“whether students feel good, like it”), and “cognitive engagement” (“whether they think deeply and persistently about the tasks that are set”) (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Martin et al. 2012, p. 303; Stacey et al., 2015, p. 23; Swan, 2005, p. 3). During the “COVID Years” (2020 – 2022) , most schools in NSW were required to operate for extended periods remotely, offering “at-home” online learning. In this context, the teaching of mathematics frequently utilised commercial online maths programs (OMPs), such as “Matheletics” or “Mathspace”. Anecdotally, it was observed that many students engaged readily with these platforms, and completed and submitted assigned work on a regular basis. Others did not. Post COVID, many schools are continuing to utilise OPMs as a component of their programs in mathematics education, often to a greater extent that was previously the case. The degree and contexts in which these OMPs beneficially impact student engagement, particularly as they traverse the junior secondary transitions, is therefore a highly relevant ground for further empirical study. Accordingly, this proposed study will explore: “Under what conditions, and for which students, are online maths programs (OMPs) effective in improving engagement in junior secondary mathematics”. In seeking to better “understand” the conditions under which the use of online maths programs may be beneficial in maintaining students’ engagement, the goal of this project is to provide an evidence base that can productively inform future pedagogy and practice within junior secondary educational settings.«/p»