When mathematics educators work towards making mathematics more relevant, they often think about including more real-world applications into mathematics lessons. But what happens when a lesson is devoid of real-world contexts? In what ways can students find it relevant? This study explores how high school students perceived relevance when they…

With the increased workplace demand for STEM specialists, and the trend in capable students opting out of higher levels of secondary mathematics, the psychological influences on mathematics subject choice are important issues to explore. Expectancy-value theory is used to examine the factors influencing such achievement choices. In the present…

The instrument of mathematics enrolment choice motivation (MECM) is designed to measure factors that influence students' decisions to keep or drop mathematics in Year 11. Using survey responses from 289 Year 11 students, this paper presents the initial form of the instrument, examines its factor structure, internal consistency and discriminant…

This study investigated whether parents have gendered constructs related to mathematics. Parents and their kindergarten-aged children from three primary schools in Sydney were interviewed to see what their understandings of boys' and girls' interests and abilities in mathematics were. Parents completed the Who and Mathematics questionnaire and…

Data from a larger study were used to identify variables that best predict children's perceived usefulness of mathematics [PUM]. Gender differences in PUM scores were also explored using a sample of 300 grade 7 children and 225 parents from February to May 2011 in Mozambique. Surveys and interviews were used to collect data. Consistent with…