Abstract
This paper presents a qualitative study on how students make use of their mathematics textbooks for practicing. The study was carried out in two German secondary schools with 74 students (44 in 6th and 30 in 12th grade). Students’ utilization of textbooks for practicing is analyzed using the theoretical framework of instrumental genesis. The results indicate that students’ choices of contents from the book for practicing can be categorized into three utilization schemes: position-dependent practicing, block-dependent practicing, and salience-dependent practicing. In terms of position-dependent practicing the relative position of the textbook’s contents to teacher-mediated sections guides the students’ choice. Block-dependent practicing relates to the use of contents from the book that belong to particular blocks. Finally, salience-dependent practicing is a utilization scheme of the book where students’ choice is guided by perceptual salience of the book contents. These findings both show how textbook users are influenced by the way mathematics is presented in textbooks and provide insights into students’ conceptions of practicing mathematics.
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