Overriding feelings of difficulty : the influence of contextualisation of data literacy problems
(2025) ICERI2025 In ICERI Proceedings p.3587-3595- Abstract
- Due to an increase in unverified information that reaches people, data literacy, i.e. the understanding of how to interact with, and interpret information, becomes increasingly important for informed citizenship and responsible decision-making in a democratic society. Central to data literacy is the ability to draw conclusions based on existing data, as well as to interpret and evaluate numerical relationships, the latter of which often takes its starting point in proportional reasoning, with which many students struggle. Solving proportional reasoning problems is often assessed through problems that resemble traditional mathematics tasks, which can evoke negative emotions, such as anxiety or low self-confidence in students, particularly... (More)
- Due to an increase in unverified information that reaches people, data literacy, i.e. the understanding of how to interact with, and interpret information, becomes increasingly important for informed citizenship and responsible decision-making in a democratic society. Central to data literacy is the ability to draw conclusions based on existing data, as well as to interpret and evaluate numerical relationships, the latter of which often takes its starting point in proportional reasoning, with which many students struggle. Solving proportional reasoning problems is often assessed through problems that resemble traditional mathematics tasks, which can evoke negative emotions, such as anxiety or low self-confidence in students, particularly those who already perceive mathematics as a difficult subject. This study aims to investigate if framing of problems may affect performance of different type of data literacy problems. Its further purpose is to explore potential differences between students of different self-reported difficulties with mathematics, as well as the teacher’s assessment of the student’s mathematical skills.
In this between-group study, 81 Swedish 7th graders' performance of identical proportionality problems was compared across two different conditions, namely problems that were more contextualised and therefore made less maths-like, and problems that were less contextualised, and more similar to typical maths problems found in textbooks. The questions were designed to assess proportional reasoning, as mentioned - a key component of data literacy. Each question required students to determine the truth of a statement and justify their answer by selecting one of four multiple-choice options.
The multiple linear regression analysis showed no significant difference in overall performance between students in the contextualised and non-contextualised condition. However, once the analysis was broken down to address each condition individually, teacher assessment correlated strongly with performance in the contextualised condition, but this pattern was not found in the non-contextualised condition. Instead, self-reported difficulty was the driving predictor of performance in non-contextualised condition (i.e. more maths-like problem). These findings suggests that framing data literacy problems in a broader context (non-maths-like context) may help mitigate the effects of experienced mathematics difficulty and improve performance, as students draw less associations to the subject mathematics. These results may also have implications for how data literacy is taught and studied.
Further, this study highlights the potential benefits of contextualising data literacy education to enhance student engagement and performance. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of such pedagogical strategies and their implications for teaching data literacy in schools. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- The digitalization of learning environments during the last decades has changed education at its core. At the same time as computers in the classroom offer multiple advantages, they also allow for multitasking and off-task behavior, undermining students’ attention and affecting their knowledge gains. In today’s highly digitalized classrooms, the challenge of maintaining student focus amidst pervasive and distracting connected devices and media platforms is increasingly pronounced.
This study investigates the efficacy of “Focus room”, a digital tool developed by Trelson, aimed at mitigating these distractions and fostering sustained attention in classroom settings. Conducted in a Swedish school, the quasi-experimental study... (More) - The digitalization of learning environments during the last decades has changed education at its core. At the same time as computers in the classroom offer multiple advantages, they also allow for multitasking and off-task behavior, undermining students’ attention and affecting their knowledge gains. In today’s highly digitalized classrooms, the challenge of maintaining student focus amidst pervasive and distracting connected devices and media platforms is increasingly pronounced.
This study investigates the efficacy of “Focus room”, a digital tool developed by Trelson, aimed at mitigating these distractions and fostering sustained attention in classroom settings. Conducted in a Swedish school, the quasi-experimental study involved 101 students in four 8th grade classes, examining the classroom environment before and during the implementation of Focus room. The study focuses on identifying and evaluating various types of distractions during computer-integrated lessons and their impact on student performance.
The students were assigned to either a control condition or an experimental condition by convenient sampling (two classes per condition). Two classes were observed while having English and the other two while having social sciences. The control groups continued with lectures as usual, while the experimental groups used Focus room, which functions as a lockdown browser limiting access to only essential resources connected to the lesson or assignment. Observations were conducted on two occasions, with the first serving as a baseline (without Focus room). The second observation occurred two months later. Quantitative data was collected through observation protocols that measured instances of distractions categorized into sound, movement, self-distraction, and unengaged behavior. Qualitative data was gathered through teacher surveys and notes on external distractions and technical issues. Additionally, knowledge tests were administered to assess the impact of Focus room on student performance.
Results indicate that the Focus room contributed to a calmer classroom environment, reduced multitasking, and improved students’ ability to stay on task. The experimental groups showed a significant reduction in distractions compared to the control groups. This effect was most pronounced among low-performing students, with the average number of distractions nearly halved between session 1 and session 2. In addition, teachers also reported improved lesson planning and structuring when using the tool. While not all distractions were eliminated, both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that Focus room can enhance focus and possibly learning outcomes if effectively implemented. The findings highlight the importance of schools offering limited and structured digital environments, along with strong teacher leadership, as one way to protect students’ focus.
The study also underscores the necessity for developing self-regulation, attention, and motivation skills in students, which are crucial for academic success and personal growth. The implications of this study suggest that while digital tools like Focus room are not an elixir, they represent a valuable step towards creating more focused and productive learning environments in the digital age. Future research should explore the long-term effects of such tools and their integration into everyday classroom routines. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/6edf9b8e-1fcf-48ac-8a37-c84fe75e0a08
- author
- Holmer, Sonja LU ; Haake, Magnus LU ; Gulz, Agneta LU ; Nicklasson, Emma and Tärning, Betty LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-12
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Education, Proportional Reasoning, contextualization, pedagogical strategies
- host publication
- 18th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
- series title
- ICERI Proceedings
- editor
- Gómez Chova, Luis ; González Martínez, Chelo and Lees, Joanna
- pages
- 9 pages
- publisher
- The International Academy of Technology, Education and Development
- conference name
- ICERI2025
- conference location
- Seville, Spain
- conference dates
- 2025-11-10 - 2025-11-12
- ISSN
- 2340-1095
- ISBN
- 978-84-09-78706-7
- DOI
- 10.21125/iceri.2025.1106
- project
- Cognitive modeling
- SoL@LUCS
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 6edf9b8e-1fcf-48ac-8a37-c84fe75e0a08
- date added to LUP
- 2026-05-18 17:41:26
- date last changed
- 2026-06-22 13:54:19
@inbook{6edf9b8e-1fcf-48ac-8a37-c84fe75e0a08,
abstract = {{Due to an increase in unverified information that reaches people, data literacy, i.e. the understanding of how to interact with, and interpret information, becomes increasingly important for informed citizenship and responsible decision-making in a democratic society. Central to data literacy is the ability to draw conclusions based on existing data, as well as to interpret and evaluate numerical relationships, the latter of which often takes its starting point in proportional reasoning, with which many students struggle. Solving proportional reasoning problems is often assessed through problems that resemble traditional mathematics tasks, which can evoke negative emotions, such as anxiety or low self-confidence in students, particularly those who already perceive mathematics as a difficult subject. This study aims to investigate if framing of problems may affect performance of different type of data literacy problems. Its further purpose is to explore potential differences between students of different self-reported difficulties with mathematics, as well as the teacher’s assessment of the student’s mathematical skills.<br/><br/>In this between-group study, 81 Swedish 7th graders' performance of identical proportionality problems was compared across two different conditions, namely problems that were more contextualised and therefore made less maths-like, and problems that were less contextualised, and more similar to typical maths problems found in textbooks. The questions were designed to assess proportional reasoning, as mentioned - a key component of data literacy. Each question required students to determine the truth of a statement and justify their answer by selecting one of four multiple-choice options.<br/><br/>The multiple linear regression analysis showed no significant difference in overall performance between students in the contextualised and non-contextualised condition. However, once the analysis was broken down to address each condition individually, teacher assessment correlated strongly with performance in the contextualised condition, but this pattern was not found in the non-contextualised condition. Instead, self-reported difficulty was the driving predictor of performance in non-contextualised condition (i.e. more maths-like problem). These findings suggests that framing data literacy problems in a broader context (non-maths-like context) may help mitigate the effects of experienced mathematics difficulty and improve performance, as students draw less associations to the subject mathematics. These results may also have implications for how data literacy is taught and studied.<br/><br/>Further, this study highlights the potential benefits of contextualising data literacy education to enhance student engagement and performance. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of such pedagogical strategies and their implications for teaching data literacy in schools.}},
author = {{Holmer, Sonja and Haake, Magnus and Gulz, Agneta and Nicklasson, Emma and Tärning, Betty}},
booktitle = {{18th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation}},
editor = {{Gómez Chova, Luis and González Martínez, Chelo and Lees, Joanna}},
isbn = {{978-84-09-78706-7}},
issn = {{2340-1095}},
keywords = {{Education; Proportional Reasoning; contextualization; pedagogical strategies}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{3587--3595}},
publisher = {{The International Academy of Technology, Education and Development}},
series = {{ICERI Proceedings}},
title = {{Overriding feelings of difficulty : the influence of contextualisation of data literacy problems}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2025.1106}},
doi = {{10.21125/iceri.2025.1106}},
year = {{2025}},
}