The impact of conflicting goals on mathematical teaching decisions

Abstract

This paper describes part of an international project considering graphical construction of antiderivative functions in the secondary mathematics classroom. We use Schoenfeld’s resources, orientations, and goals (ROGs) framework to analyse the decisions made by a teacher, Adam, during a lesson on graphical antiderivatives. We present details of Adam’s ROG and see how this is related to resolution of the conflict between his competing goals and the decisions he makes. The results suggest that a beneficial professional development strategy might be to assist teachers to become more aware of their ROG and its influence on in-the-moment classroom decisions.