Student Perspectives of Engagement in Mathematics

Engagement in mathematics education is an important factor in a successful student experience. This paper reports findings from a study of Year 5 student perceptions of engagement during a two-week, inquiry-based learning (IBL), problem-posing investigation. The study triangulated data from semistructured interviews, video observations and student work samples to understand the student's perspectives of IBL; however, this paper reports the interview data. The findings indicate that most of the students were behaviourally, emotionally, and cognitively engaged during the IBL investigation, and that the investigation provided an opportunity for students to experience levels of competence, relatedness, and autonomy need satisfaction.