Assessing mathematical thinking as part of curriculum reform in the Netherlands

Abstract

Assessment is a crucial factor in the implementation of curriculum reform. Little is known, however, on how curriculum changes can be reflected adequately in assessment, particularly if the reform concerns process skills. This issue was investigated for the case of assessing mathematical thinking in a mathematics curriculum reform for 15–18-year-old students in the Netherlands. From 2011 until 2017, these reform curricula were field tested in pilot schools, while other schools used the regular curricula. The research question is how this reform was reflected in national examination papers and in student performance on corresponding assignments. To address this question, we developed a theory-based model for mathematical thinking, analyzed pilot and regular examination papers, and carried out a quantitative and qualitative analysis of students’ work on assignments that invite mathematical thinking. The results were that the pilot examination papers did address mathematical thinking to a greater degree than the regular papers, but that there was a decrease over time. Pilot school students outperformed their peers in regular schools on assignments that invite mathematical thinking by 4–5% on average and showed more diversity in problem-solving strategies. To explain the decreasing presence of mathematical thinking in examination papers, we conjecture that conservative forces within the assessment construction process may push back change.