Spotlighting: Helping to Scaffold the 'Explore Phase' When Teaching with Challenging Tasks

This article is based upon Peter Sullivan's (2021) structured inquiry approach to teaching mathematics, in which the authors take a deep dive into the technique of "Spotlighting" in the "Explore" phase of this model to assist in optimal learning experiences for students. Working from the premise that students are best placed to connect with instruction after a powerful and sometimes confusing learning experience, Sullivan et al.'s (2021) model provides three distinct phases to structure a mathematics lesson. They are: (1) The Launch phase--poses the task to students without any further instruction about the strategies required to solve the task; (2) The Explore phase--where collaboration and peer learning is encouraged as a support for students to consider multiple solutions and solution pathways; and (3) The Summarise/Review phase--provides an opportunity for the teacher to orchestrate class discussions by presenting various student solutions that reflect the mathematical focus of the lesson. The authors conclude they have been pleasantly surprised at how particular student explanations, derived from real time spotlight moments, were critical in shaping successful learning opportunities for the rest of the class.