Students’ Cognitions and Time on Task During Mathematics Instruction

This study investigated students’ reports of attention, understanding, cognitive processes and affect during mathematics instruction. Two classes of fifth grade students (N = 38) were taught a 9-day mathematics unit on measurement by one of their teachers. Students were videotaped during instruction and interviewed subsequently using a stimulated-recall procedure. Students completed an achievement test and questionnaires about their attention, cognitive processes, motivational self-thoughts, and attitudes toward mathematics. Results suggest that students’ reports of attention, understanding, and cognitive processes were more valid indicators of classroom learning than observers’ judgments of students’ time on task. Findings also indicate that students’ reported affect as well as cognitions mediated the relationship between instructional stimuli and student achievement and attitudes.