2021 Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education Reports
2021
N/A
Not Choosing is Also a Choice
Page: 189
Combinatorics is a growing topic in mathematics with widespread applications in a variety of fields. It has become increasingly prominent in both K-12 and undergraduate curricula. There is a clear need in mathematics education for studies that address cognitive and pedagogical issues related to students’ conceptions of combinatorial ideas. I investigate students’ perceptions of the option of not choosing while solving counting problems. In this report, as part of a larger study, I focus on experiences of one undergraduate student who was interviewed in the larger study. The interview was conducted as they solved combinatorial tasks that included the possibility of not choosing a particular attribute when enumerating choices. The data analysis highlighted detecting choices as one of the factors contributing to students’ success in solving counting problems. I suggest an extension of a model of students’ combinatorial thinking that has been introduced in mathematics education literature.