Exploring evidence of mathematical tasks and representations in the drawings of middle school students

As part of a larger research project exploring a group of 120 Turkish middle school students’ (grades 6 to 8, aged 11 to 14) perceptions of their mathematics classroom experiences, this study presents an analysis of the nature of mathematical tasks and the forms of mathematical representations depicted in students’ drawings. An analysis of the data obtained from the students’ drawing task (Draw a Mathematics Classroom Test) revealed little to no variety in students’ classroom experiences in relation to the types of mathematical tasks or mathematical representations. The most common mathematical tasks were found to be tasks that focus on procedural skills, while the most common way students represented the mathematics was through symbolic representations. None of the student drawings involved physical or contextual representations. Findings raise concerns about whether Turkish students are well prepared for the demands of the 21st century.