Evaluating Various Undergraduate Perspectives of Elementary-Level Mathematical Writing

Abstract

Writing is recognized as a critical skill in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical fields, as it provides opportunities for individuals to think critically about learned information, integrate knowledge, communicate understanding, and contribute new information to the field. Requirements for applying mathematical knowledge to writing require a seamless blend of content-specific knowledge, domain-specific vocabulary, and an understanding of written expression. Relatively, little is known about how mathematics writing is currently being assessed in K-12 classrooms to promote the acquisition and growth of students’ writing. This exploratory survey research sought to evaluate how undergraduate students across various career majors, at a large university in the USA, perceive the writing quality of elementary mathematics writing samples. Research determined that respondents valued accuracy of the mathematics, logical explanation, effort of the response, as well as organization/mechanics of the writing. The extremes of mathematical writing had the most reliable scores, bringing attention to the need to develop quality assessments (e.g., rubrics) that address subjectivity of writing quality indicators and explicitly communicate expectations of mathematics writing. Implications for practice and future research are presented.