ROUGH DRAFT MATH FOR ENGAGED LEARNING

Mathematics educators often face the challenge of
students disliking mathematics or experiencing a
negative relationship with the subject. Intentional
teaching practices can be a mechanism to mitigate
this challenge; thus, preservice and novice teachers
would benefit from opportunities to develop
such teaching practices. This research explored
the potential of rough draft math (RDM) to support
teachers in addressing these issues. RDM is
a pedagogical approach where students discuss
and share their preliminary mathematical ideas
without the fear of being wrong. Teachers welcome
rough draft thinking, which gives students explicit
opportunities to revise their work or thinking. This
study examined the impact of RDM on preservice
and novice secondary mathematics teachers
through their written reflections on opportunities
to learn about the approach through readings.
Findings suggested that the readings can promote
preservice and novice teachers’ awareness of how
RDM can foster a more comfortable and engaging
learning environment, highlighting the importance
of teachers holding a nonevaluative stance toward
students’ thinking and teachers’ roles in facilitating
mathematical discourse.