Teachers use of construct ‘attitude’. Preliminary research findings, , (Chief editor Marianna Bosch)

POLO, MARIA;ZAN R.

2006-01-01

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Abstract

The paper illustrates the preliminary findings of an Italian Project about attitude. The Project, aimed at investigating the phenomenon of negative attitude toward mathematics, entails various activities, focussed on purely theoretical aspects, such as the very definition of the construct, or on investigations involving students, teachers, mathematicians. Here the findings of a study are presented, which investigates teachers’ use of the attitude construct in their practice. These findings suggest that most teachers refer to a multidimensional idea of attitude, not reducing attitude to a simple general emotional disposition toward mathematics, and that the teacher’s diagnosis of a student’s negative attitude is the final step of a process through which the teacher acknowledges the student’ failure, rather than the starting point for a focused didactical action.