Dialogue and higher-order thinking in mathematics

This research investigates how collaborative problem solving in mathematics education can foster analytical thinking. It focuses on the conditions under which student dialogue leads to deeper mathematical reasoning. By closely analyzing the interplay between cognitive and dialogic processes, the project generates insights that help teachers in higher mathematics education make more effective use of collaborative learning approaches.

The project consists of four sub-studies: a systematic literature review and three empirical studies involving pre-service mathematics teachers and first-year mathematics students. Each sub-study examines a different aspect of the interplay between dialogue, cognition, and mathematical learning.

A systematic literature review on collaborative problem solving and higher-order thinking in mathematics education. 
Analyses of student dialogues during collaborative mathematical problem solving in various higher education settings. Insight into how cognitive and dialogic processes together shape whether collaborative learning leads to deep mathematical thinking. Practical guidance for teachers in higher mathematics education to foster productive student dialogue.

The research combines a systematic literature review with empirical analyses of student dialogues, studying cognitive and dialogic processes in an integrated way to understand how deep mathematical thinking emerges.

Teachers in higher mathematics education increasingly ask students to work together on problems, expecting this to lead to deep learning. This research shows that the quality of student dialogue is decisive: collaboration alone is not enough. The findings help teachers design tasks and discussion formats more deliberately, so that students genuinely learn to reason, argue, and challenge each other's thinking.