Selecting and sequencing for a whole-class discussion: Teachers’ considerations

One class of problem-based lessons are those that culminate in a teacher-facilitated whole-class discussion featuring students’ solution approaches. We explore teachers’ considerations about selecting and sequencing students’ ideas for a summative whole-class discussion in this kind of problem-based lesson. We provided 42 participants, in a teacher education context, a task and a sample of solutions (correct and incorrect) to a given task. We prompted participants for which three they would select to have presented to the class, in what sequence, and why. In general, participants favored a direct model solution, an error, and an inductive solution with a geometric representation. They explained their selections and sequences in terms of structuring access for students by increasing in complexity; attending to errors; and sharing a variety of approaches. In their explanations, they placed less emphasis on mathematical connections between two solutions and rarely on connections across the set of three solutions. • We review the literature and identify principles and heuristics for sharing student work in whole class discussions. • Teachers received a task and eight solutions and chose a sequence of three to share with a hypothetical class. • Many participants began with a direct model or an error and culminated with a geometric solution. • Participants emphasized access through increases in complexity rather than mathematical connections between solutions.