Theory and Research on Tasks Revisited: Task as a Context for Students’ Thinking in the Era of Ambitious Reforms in Mathematics and Science

Informed by decades of research and standards-based policies, there has been a growing demand for high-quality teaching and learning in mathematics and science classrooms. Achieving these ambitious goals will not be easy; students’ opportunities for learning as shaped by the tasks they are assigned...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational Researcher 2020-11, Vol.49 (8), p.606-617
Main Authors: Tekkumru-Kisa, Miray, Stein, Mary Kay, Doyle, Walter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assignments
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive Processes
Difficulty Level
Education reform
Educational Change
Faculty Development
Learning
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Problem Solving
Science Education
Task Analysis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Informed by decades of research and standards-based policies, there has been a growing demand for high-quality teaching and learning in mathematics and science classrooms. Achieving these ambitious goals will not be easy; students’ opportunities for learning as shaped by the tasks they are assigned will matter the most. The purpose of this article is to revisit theory and research on tasks, a construct introduced by Walter Doyle nearly 40 years ago. The authors discuss how this construct has been used and expanded in research since then, argue for its applicability to contemporary challenges facing schools and classrooms today, and provide suggestions for future research.
ISSN:0013-189X
1935-102X
DOI:10.3102/0013189X20932480