Unravelling Textures of Mathematical Work in a High-Stakes Examination Context
The ways in which examinees approach mathematics are significantly influenced by the context in which they operate. In this qualitative study the ways of working of, level 3 students from two Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in South Africa were examined. The study focused on the end-of-year high-stakes National Certificate Vocational (NCV) examination as the contextual backdrop. To unravel the intricacies of examinees' work and their dialectic pursuit of solution-seeking, an ethnomethodological analysis was employed. In this study, "ways of working" refers to how examinees engage with mathematical content within the constraints of a time-limited, high-stakes examination. Due to the confidential nature of the high-stakes examination, a documentary analysis became necessary. Access to the written work of examinees was only permitted once the examination had concluded and the results had been published. The key findings of the study were as follows:
(1) The strategies employed by examinees are heavily influenced by the context of the high-stakes examination, and (2) The ways in which examinees approach their work demonstrate the typical structure observed in mathematical discourse practices. Further research is required to deepen our understanding of examinees' cognitive processes during time-constrained examinations.
Marius Simons
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