| Domestic and international researches show that Chinese students do well in solving mathematical problems of low cognitive level, but they underperform in solving mathematical problems of high cognitive level. Classroom teaching is one of the important factors for the phenomenon.This study pays attention to the mathematical characteristics of the classroom teaching, analyses mathematics teaching in senior high school from the perspective of cognition. The purpose of this study is to develop students’ high level cognitive ability through the cognitive analysis of mathematical tasks which contributes to improving teaching reform.Firstly, through the literature review, this thesis analyses the concept of mathematical task, and summarizes several assessment frameworks of mathematical cognition level. This thesis elaborates mathematical task framework proposed by QUASAR project and the relevant domestic research.Secondly, this thesis adopts mathematical task framework proposed by QUASAR project as the main research tool to analyse classroom teaching from the perspective of cognition. By means of analyzing cases of mathematical tasks which involve four topics and eight lessons from seven teachers, this thesis discusses the changes of cognitive level, and then summarizes the main factors associated with the maintainance and decline of mathematics tasks’ cognitive level in senior high school. Factors associated with maintaining high cognitive level include: purpose based on students’ cognitive foundation; designing high level task; exploration time; inspirational questioning; scaffolding. Factors associated with declining high cognitive level include: inappropriate task; lack of time; substitution for thinking; focus on the correctness and completeness instead of understanding and exploring; breaking a complex task down into simple tasks or procedural steps excessively.Finally, based on case studies, the author puts forward some advice on classroom teaching in senior high school, including effective strategies of organizing mathematical tasks and maintaining their cognitive level. |
