The Role of Challenging Mathematical Tasks in Creating Opportunities for Student Reasoning

The following is a report of an exploration of what mathematical reasoning might look like in classrooms. Focusing on just one lesson in one classroom, data are presented that indicate that upper primary students are willing and able to reason for themselves, especially in classrooms in which the culture for such reasoning has been established. It seems that the opportunities to reason are a product of the tasks that are posed, the structuring of the classroom, and the willingness of the teachers to allow students to engage with the tasks for themselves.