Author(s):
As a language of science, mathematics is key to understanding past discoveries and making new ones. However, instructors of science teach mathematics as a tool to perform statistical analyses or generate a calculated answer. Students are presented with an equation, shown how to solve problems using the equation and then given time to practice the demonstrated procedure. The problem with this approach is that students’ problem-solving is fragile, limited to equations and applications that they have encountered previously. However, observational studies have suggested that there are students who can make sense of the provided equation and interpret its associations with both mathematics and scientific ideas and concepts. Students who can do this are said to engage in blended sensemaking and they are able to solve complex and novel problems. Little research has been done on how different tasks affect students’ engagement in sensemaking of mathematics equations in science, how blended sensemaking develops, and how instructors can aid in the development of blended sensemaking. Our research has focused on the role of the task, the instructor, and the student in fostering sensemaking during instruction of mathematics in undergraduate biology classrooms. An overview of this research will be presented with a particular focus on the effect of the task on student talk and the formation of connections between mathematics equations and the scientific phenomenon. The implications for designing and implementing curriculum involving mathematics equations in science classes will be discussed.
