Shipra Sachdeva

• Jemai, Khaled Ben Latief; Rangnes, Toril Eskeland; Sachdeva, Shipra; Kaufmann, Odd Tore & Maugesten, Marianne (2025). Preservice teachers and their computational thinking perspectives. In Bosch, Marianna; Bolondi, Giorgio; Carreira, Susana; Spagnolo, Camilla & Gaidoschik, Michael (Ed.), Proceedings of the Fourteenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME14), Free University of Bozen-Bolzano; ERME, Feb 2025, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy.. European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9791221086553. p. 2456–2463. doi: https:/hal.science/hal-05279705v1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study aims to provide teacher educators with valuable insights into preservice teachers’ (PTs’) perspectives on computational thinking (CT). We analyse three PTs’ notes from their process and reflections when solving mathematics problems with programming to identify their CT perspectives. We employed Brennan and Resnick’s CT framework focusing on CT perspectives and applied Warshauer's concept of productive struggle to gain deeper insight into what the PTs see as struggle and how they valued it. Our findings suggest that the PTs’ positioned themselves as novices in programming, focusing on learning programming and making something useful for their students to support their students’ learning. They chose well known mathematical problems claiming that programming was the main challenge. Their struggles with programming were valued as part of their learning process.

• Maugesten, Marianne; Kaufmann, Odd Tore; Jemai, Khaled Ben Latief; Rangnes, Toril Eskeland & Sachdeva, Shipra (2025). Preservice teachers' identity as programmers in mathematics. In Bosch, Marianna; Bolondi, Giorgio; Carreira, Susana; Spagnolo, Camilla & Gaidoschik, Michael (Ed.), Proceedings of the Fourteenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME14), Free University of Bozen-Bolzano; ERME, Feb 2025, Bozen-Bolzano, Italy.. European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9791221086553. p. 3027–3034. doi: http:/hal.science/hal-05284438v1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this study we investigate preservice teachers’ actual and designated identities. Analyses of preservice teachers' reflection notes written to complete a compulsory task about programming reveal both similarities and differences between preservice teachers' actual and designated identities. Both identities reflect a positive attitude towards programming and the importance of computational thinking. However, actual identity highlights preservice teachers' knowledge of problem-solving and their perception of programming as challenging but rewarding. In contrast, designated identity emphasizes the importance of programming knowledge to enhance students' learning, and knowledge of different programming tools to develop the students’ knowledge.

• Sachdeva, Shipra & Eggen, Per-Odd (2023). “We learn it [mathematics] at school so one thinks that one will use it …”: Learners’ beliefs about relevance and importance of learning mathematics. Acta Didactica Norden (ADNO). 17(3), p. 1–25. doi: 10.5617/adno.10308. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne artikkelen viser at når skoleledere og lærere samhandler i et regionalt utviklingsprosjekt som forutsetter bruk av eksterne kunnskapsressurser som kartleggingsdata og kompetansepakker, forholder de seg til kunnskapsressurssene med utgangspunkt i ulike bruksteorier og kunnskapsdiskurser. Resultatet blir at samhandlingen mellom dem i varierende grad gir rom for et epistemisk engasjement som er en forutsetning for at eksterne kunnskapsressurser skal fungere etter intensjonen i lokalt utviklingsarbeid. Bernsteins (1999) skille mellom vertikal og horisontal kunnskapsdiskurs brukes for å beskrive møtet mellom kunnskap fra forskning og skolens praktiske erfaringskunnskap i det lokale utviklingsarbeidet. Observasjons- og intervjudata fra tre skoler viser at samhandlingsmønstrene som oppstår mellom lærere og skoleledere preges av ulike kunnskapsdiskurser. Når lærere og ledere responderer på hverandres uttalelser fra hver sin kunnskapsdiskurs, oppstår situasjoner preget av epistemiske motspill, der begge parter går i forsvar og utvikler defensive strategier i det lokale skoleutviklingsarbeidet. Epistemisk samspill utvikles i større grad når ledere og lærere sammen undersøker og utforsker eksterne kunnskapsressurser, for å utvikle erfaringsbasert, praksisnær, kontekstavhengig, og til dels taus lokal kunnskap, på tvers av kunnskapsdiskurser. Det kan se ut som om hvorvidt samarbeidet preges av samspill, eller motspill, har avgjørende betydning for hvilke bruksteorier aktørene velger i møte med eksterne kunnskapsressurser. En forutsetning for at eksterne kunnskapsressurser skal gi mening i lokalt utviklingsarbeid, er at skoleledere og lærere åpner for å undersøke egne handlinger, teste egne vurderinger og forklaringer, og vurdere egen rolle i de utfordringer skolen har.

• Sachdeva, Shipra & Eggen, Per-Odd (2021). Learners’ Critical Thinking About Learning Mathematics. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education (IEJME). 16(3). doi: 10.29333/iejme/11003. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Developing critical thinking practices among young learners through mathematics education is a topic of attention for mathematics education research community. Learners’ critical thinking concerning cognitive and social aspects of their mathematics education have been explored in several research studies. However, learners’ critical thinking concerning their personal beliefs about their mathematics learning process have not received much consideration. In this paper, learners’ practice with thinking critically about and their potential to suggest changes in their mathematics learning process is explored based on their expressed beliefs about learning mathematics. Learners of eighth and ninth grade in two Norwegian schools responded to a questionnaire and were interviewed to gather their opinions concerning their mathematics learning process. Data analysis indicates that learners seldom think critically, and hold inconsistent beliefs about mathematics and its learning process. Moreover, they struggle to observe their own beliefs critically, and hesitate in suggesting alternatives to make learning mathematics meaningful for them. Consequently, learners’ critical attitude towards their mathematics learning process and their personal beliefs in order to gain a meta-perspective of their learning contexts does not seem to be evolving effectively. However, if learners are encouraged to think critically about mathematics education, their potential of contributing to improve their mathematics learning process becomes visible. We recommend that young learners get training in and are encouraged to think critically about their mathematics learning process so that they are equipped to make reflected choices related to learning mathematics in their personal lives.

• Sachdeva, Shipra & Eggen, Per-Odd (2019). Students' Critical Perceptions About Mathematics Education. In Subramanian, Jayasree (Eds.), Proceedings of the Tenth International Mathematics Education and Society Conference. International Mathematics Education and Society Conference. p. 761–770. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents excerpts from 10 semi-structured interviews conducted with 8th and 9th grade students in a Norwegian countryside school. Interviews were conducted to gain an insight into students' potential to critically perceive three aspects of mathematics education (ME), namely, subject content, mode of instruction and perceived relevance. Results indicate that pupils hold diverging views regarding these aspects of ME and hence find it difficult to reflect coherently upon them. This reveals students' unfamiliarity with their role as critical thinkers and learners. However, when encouraged, pupils demonstrated the potential to think critically about above-mentioned aspects of ME along with suggesting changes to mathematics teaching they are used to.

• Sachdeva, Shipra (2019). Students’ experiences of learner autonomy in mathematics classes. In Jankvist, Uffe Thomas; Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja Van den & Veldhuis, Michiel (Ed.), Proceedings of the Eleventh Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9789073346758. p. 1978–1985. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents representative excerpts from post-project interviews conducted with 8th and 9th grade students from a Norwegian countryside school. Interviews attempt to explore students’ experiences of learner autonomy in mathematics classes. These students participated in a larger study where they responded to a pre-project questionnaire followed by solving practical group projects using mathematics and science knowledge and post-project interviews. Preliminary interview analysis reveals that students’ experiences with learner autonomy in mathematics classes are limited to opportunities provided by their teachers together with an insecurity in perceiving themselves as responsible autonomous learners. However, these learners clearly exhibit a desire to acquire autonomy, the potential to suggest changes, and participate in discussions and decisions concerning their mathematics teaching-learning process, together with their teachers.

• Sachdeva, Shipra; Eggen, Per-Odd & Hoveid, Halvor (2017). Culturally-inspired mathematics and science education. In Dooley, Thérèse & Gueudet, Ghislaine (Ed.), Proceedings of the Tenth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME 10). European Society for Research in Mathematics Education. ISSN 9781873769737. p. 1587–1588. Full text in Research Archive

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• Sachdeva, Shipra (2026). Critical thinking, critical citizenship and GenAI: the case of (mathematics) education. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, mathematics education research employing Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools is scrutinized to investigate how the notions of critical thinking and critical citizenship are discussed in the concerned research literature. A scoping literature review combined with content and document analysis is conducted to explore this question. The research literature lists several uses of GenAI in mathematics classrooms, such as, being mathematical problem-solving assistants, discussion partners and personalized interactive tutors for learners. Findings convey that GenAI tools can support the development of learners’ critical thinking with respect to thinking logically and can improve their problem-solving abilities by giving personalized feedback. However, if and how GenAI can encourage learners to become critical thinking citizens and participate in decisions concerning their own learning processes is a topic not much explored yet. Therefore, in this paper, I present an overview of how the concepts of critical thinking and critical citizenship are discussed in relation to the use of GenAI in mathematics education research literature. Moreover, I highlight the challenges mathematics educators may face while preparing both pre-service teachers and learners to become critical thinkers and citizens through learning mathematics in the age of GenAI.

• Jemai, Khaled Ben Latief; Rangnes, Toril Eskeland; Sachdeva, Shipra; Kaufmann, Odd Tore & Maugesten, Marianne (2025). Preservice teachers and their computational thinking perspectives. Full text in Research Archive
• Maugesten, Marianne; Kaufmann, Odd Tore; Jemai, Khaled Ben Latief; Rangnes, Toril Eskeland & Sachdeva, Shipra (2025). Preservice teachers’ identity as programmers in mathematics. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2019). Students' Critical Perceptions About Mathematics Education. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents excerpts from 10 semi-structured interviews conducted with 8th and 9th grade students in a Norwegian countryside school. Interviews were conducted to gain an insight into students' potential to critically perceive three aspects of mathematics education (ME), namely, subject content, mode of instruction and perceived relevance. Results indicate that pupils hold diverging views regarding these aspects of ME and hence find it difficult to reflect coherently upon them. This reveals students' unfamiliarity with their role as critical thinkers and learners. However, when encouraged, pupils demonstrated the potential to think critically about above mentioned aspects of ME along with suggesting changes to mathematics teaching they are used to.

• Sachdeva, Shipra (2019). Students' Experiences of Learner Autonomy in Mathematics Classes. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents selected excerpts from post-project interviews conducted with 8th and 9th grade students from a Norwegian countryside school. Interviews attempt to explore students' experiences of learner autonomy in mathematics classes. These students participated in a larger study where they responded to pre-project questionnaire followed by solving practical group projects using mathematics and science knowledge and post-project interviews. Preliminary interview analysis reveals that students' experiences with learner autonomy in mathematics classes are limited to opportunities provided by their teachers together with an insecurity in perceiving themselves as responsible autonomous learners. However, these learners clearly exhibit a desire to acquire autonomy, the potential to suggest changes, and participate in discussions and decisions concerning their mathematics teaching-learning process, together with their teachers.

• Sachdeva, Shipra (2019). Bør ungdom ha en mening om hva de lærer på skolen? Hva kan vi lære fra ungdomsskoleelever? Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2018). Students Critical Perceptions about Mathematics Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2017). Culturally-inspired mathematics education. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2017). Culturally-Inspired Mathematics and Science Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2017). Practicing Culturally-Inspired Mathematics Education – Norwegian Student Perspectives on Mathematics Lessons Designed to Fit Their Personal Interests. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper discusses Norwegian students' post-project interview responses on the student projects designed to fit their personal interests and the mathematics involved in those projects. These projects were designed by getting inspiration through students' own cultural identities and student tasks involved practical activities embedded with mathematical content. Notions of Ethnomathematics and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) guided the whole process. A design-based intervention was employed to capture the data throughout the project and interviews afterwards. Students' responses indicate clear preference for co-operative, culturally connected learning and lack of ability to think critically about the way mathematics education is taking place in school.

• Sachdeva, Shipra; Schou, Marit Hvalsøe & Tamborg, Andreas Lindenskov (2016). Reflections on having participated at the Pre-NORMA workshop. NOMAD – Nordisk matematikkdidaktikk. ISSN 1104-2176. 21(3), p. 89–90. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2016). A Cultural Pathway to Mathematics Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2016). Intercultural Social-Constructivist Mathematics Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra (2016). Culturally-Inspired Teaching-Learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra & Eggen, Per-Odd (2016). Cultural Interaction with Mathematics Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Sachdeva, Shipra; Eggen, Per-Odd & Fyhn, Anne Birgitte (2024). “If we could have got a realistic situation…” – Learners’ voices indicating their potential to influence their mathematics learning processes. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet. ISSN 9788232678099. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Norwegian Education Act establishes learners’ right of learning to think critically, and to influence their learning processes, and the general part of Norwegian school curriculum underlines the same. The importance of raising young learners as mathematically literate critical citizens has also gained attention in mathematics education research field along with the education policies of many countries. However, in Norwegian mathematics curriculum, the words ‘critical thinking’ and ‘democratic participation’ are often used only to indicate learners’ abilities to analyse conclusions of mathematical models or statistical data. Thus, leaners’ potential to influence their mathematics teaching and learning processes remain unexplored, and their voices about their own mathematics learning experiences are seldom heard. This doctoral thesis contains three sub studies, which explore young learner’s ability to think critically towards their mathematics learning experiences and if their voices can contribute to improve their mathematics teaching and learning practices. The first sub-study highlights learners’ expressed potential to think critically about their mathematics learning process. The second one investigates why learners believe learning mathematics will be relevant and important for their personal lives. The third sub-study focuses on learners’ expressed experiences of involvement in decisions concerning their mathematics learning activities and having learner autonomy in their mathematics classrooms. Learners’ critical perspectives about their mathematics teaching-learning processes act as a common thread tying these sub-studies and the thesis together. The data was gathered in two secondary schools in Central Norway by using pre-intervention questionnaires, classroom interventions and post-intervention semi-structured individual interviews with 8th and 9th grade learners (13-14 years old). 74 learners answered the questionnaires and participated in classroom interventions, and 20 were interviewed. The analyses of learners’ responses suggest that all of them strongly believe in the relevance and importance of learning advanced level mathematics for their lives. Their responses also give the impression that they may not be habitual of or trained in thinking critically about their mathematics learning process. Moreover, they seem to have limited experience with involvement in decisions concerning their mathematics learning activities in their classrooms. However, when specifically asked to reflect critically about their mathematics learning process, some learners demonstrated their potential to critically evaluate what they learn, why they learn, and how they learn the subject content in mathematics. Their capability of suggesting changes in the content and/or the style of their mathematics teaching-learning practices was also identified. This study bears implications for the formulations used in Norwegian mathematics curriculum and for improving learners’ mathematics teaching and learning practices. Learners’ responses indicate that cultivating their critical outlook towards and democratic participation in decisions about their learning activities may not be prioritised as a part of their mathematics classroom routine. Learners’ voices and their suggestions should be incorporated in their mathematics teaching-learning activities to realize learners’ right of being critical about, cooperating in and influencing the decisions concerning their own mathematics learning processes. Learners’ voices and suggestions not only have the potential to improve their mathematics learning activities, but an acknowledgement of their voices can also assist achieving the aims of learners’ empowerment and transforming them into mathematically literate critical citizens. Sammendrag Både Opplæringsloven og den overordnede del av læreplanen slår fast elevers rett til å lære å tenke kritisk og medvirke i egen opplæringsprosess. Betydningen av å oppdra unge elever som kritiske medborgere med matematisk kunnskap er også vektlagt i matematikkdidaktisk forskning og i utdanningspolitikk i mange land. Men i det norske matematikklæreplan brukes ordene «kritisk tenkning» og «demokratisk deltakelse» i hovedsak knyttet til å utvikle elevers evne til å analysere matematiske modeller eller statistiske data. Dermed forblir elevenes evner til å medvirke i egen matematikkundervisning og -læringsprosessene uutforsket, og meningene deres om egne matematikklæringserfaringer blir sjelden hørt. Denne doktorgradsavhandlingen inneholder tre delstudier som utforsker unge elevers evne til å tenke kritisk om sine egne matematikklæringserfaringer, og om elevenes meninger kan bidra til å forbedre deres erfaringer med matematikkundervisning og -læring. Det første delstudiet omhandler elevenes evne til å tenke kritisk om deres matematikkopplæringsprosess. Den andre undersøker hvorfor elever tror at det å lære matematikk vil være relevant og viktig for deres personlige liv. Det tredje delstudiet setter søkelys på elevers opplevelser av involvering i beslutninger som angår deres matematikklæringsaktiviteter og det å ha autonomi i matematikklasserommene. Elevers kritiske tenkning om matematikkundervisnings-læringsprosessene deres fungerer som en rød tråd som binder disse delstudiene og oppgaven sammen. Dataene ble samlet inn fra elever i 8. og 9. klasse (13-14 år) på to ungdomsskoler i Midt-Norge ved bruk av spørreskjemaer før en intervensjon, deretter klasseromsintervensjoner og til slutt semistrukturerte individuelle intervjuer. 74 elever svarte på spørreskjemaene og deltok i klasseromsintervensjoner, og 20 ble intervjuet. Analysene av elevenes svar tyder på at alle har stor tro på relevansen og viktigheten av å lære matematikk på avansert nivå for livene deres. Svarene gir også inntrykk av at de ikke er vant med eller trent i å tenke kritisk om sin egen matematikklæringsprosessen. Dessuten ser de ut til å ha begrenset erfaring med å bli involverte i beslutninger som gjelder deres matematikklæringsaktiviteter. Men når de ble spesifikt spurt om å reflektere kritisk over egen matematikklæringsprosess, viste noen elever evne til å kritisk evaluere hva de lærer, hvorfor de lærer og hvordan de lærer faginnholdet i matematikk. Elevenes evne til å komme med forslag til endringer for å forbedre egen matematikkundervisnings- og læringsprosess ble også identifisert. Denne studien har implikasjoner for formuleringene brukt i norsk matematikklæreplan og elevers matematikkundervisnings- og læringspraksis. Elevenes svar tyder på at det å oppøve deres kritiske syn på og demokratisk deltakelse i beslutninger om egne læringsaktiviteter ikke blir rutinemessig prioritert i deres matematikklasserom. Elevenes meninger og deres forslag bør få påvirke undervisnings- og læringsaktiviteter slik at elevenes rett til å være kritiske til, ta medansvar og medvirke i avgjørelsene om deres egne matematikklæringsprosesser blir fulgt opp. Elevenes meninger og forslag har ikke bare potensialet til å forbedre deres matematikkopplæring, men en anerkjennelse av egne meninger kan også bidra til å nå målene om å myndiggjøre elevene og utvikle dem til kritiske medborgere gjennom matematikkopplæringen.

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