Conflicting narratives in student group dynamics when addressing exponential material contextual problems
DOI:
10.29303/jm.v8i1.11038Published:
2026-03-29Downloads
Abstract
Commognitive conflict often occurs in students at the beginning of their. This study aims to describe commognitive conflict, based on narratives experienced by students when solving contextual problems on exponential material. This study is a qualitative study with purposive sampling. A total of 20 undergraduate students of the Mathematics Education as a participant. They worked on one problem independently for 30 minutes, then their work was grouped based on correct and incorrect results. The incorrect results were divided into two groups. Each group selected one person as a research subject. Their answers were clarified through in-depth semi-structured interviews to obtain information about the causes of the conflict. The results showed that the conflict caused by their understanding of the knowledge they gained in high school was not mastered properly. Students become confused and unsure of the accuracy of their answers and knowledge. However, ultimately, accepting the new knowledge conveyed by experts is one solution. This conflict can be minimized by repeating the material from high school, which can be in the form of worksheets or assignments, so that commognitive conflict is expected to prevent recurrence.
Keywords:
commognitive commognitive conflict narratives memorization contextual problemReferences
De Clercq, M., Galand, B., & Frenay, M. (2017). Transition from high school to university: a person-centered approach to academic achievement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 32(1), 39–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0298-5
De Clercq, M., Roland, N., Brunelle, M., Galand, B., & Frenay, M. (2018). The delicate balance to adjustment: A qualitative approach of student’s transition to the first year at university. Psychologica Belgica, 58(1), 67–90. https://doi.org/10.5334/pb.409
Fernández-León, A., Gavilán-Izquierdo, J. M., González-Regaña, A. J., Martín-Molina, V., & Toscano, R. (2019). Identifying routines in the discourse of undergraduate students when defining. Mathematics Education Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-019-00301-1
Geng, G., & Midford, R. (2015). Investigating first-year education students’ stress level. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n6.1
Gunnell, K. E., Mosewich, A. D., McEwen, C. E., Eklund, R. C., & Crocker, P. R. E. (2017). Don’t be so hard on yourself! Changes in self-compassion during the first year of university are associated with changes in well-being. Personality and Individual Differences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.11.032
Hassel, S., & Ridout, N. (2018). An investigation of first-year students’ and lecturers’ expectations of university education. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02218
Ioannou, M. (2018). Commognitive analysis of undergraduate mathematics students’ first encounter with the subgroup test. Mathematics Education Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-017-0222-6
Kahu, E., Nelson, K., & Picton, C. (2017). Student interest as a key driver of engagement for first year students. Student Success. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v8i2.379
Kelly, A. E. (2014). Handbook of Design Research Methods in Education. In Handbook of Design Research Methods in Education. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315759593
Kim, D.-J., Choi, S., Lim, W., Thoma, A., Nardi, E., Viirman, O., … Sfard, A. (2019). Discourses of Functions – University Mathematics Teaching Through a Commognitive Lens. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 8(2), 423–430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-015-9676-1
Krasilnikov, A., & Smirnova, A. (2017). Online social adaptation of first-year students and their academic performance. Computers and Education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.05.012
Lee, K.-F., Ang, C.-S., & Dipolog-Ubanan, G. (2019). “My First Year in The University”: Students’ Expectations, Perceptions and Experiences. Journal of Social Science Research, 14, 3134–3145. https://doi.org/10.24297/jssr.v14i0.8006
Meehan, C., & Howells, K. (2019). In search of the feeling of ‘belonging’ in higher education: undergraduate students transition into higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43(10), 1376–1390. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2018.1490702
Meilantifa, M., & Emanuel, E. P. L. (2024). Commognitive Mahasiswa Dalam Menyelesaikan Soal Kontekstual Pemodelan Matematika. Briliant: Jurnal Riset Dan Konseptual, 9(2), 299–305. https://doi.org/10.28926/briliant.v9i2.1683
Mpofu, S., & Pournara, C. (2018). Learner Participation in the Functions Discourse: A Focus on Asymptotes of the Hyperbola. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2017.1409170
Nardi, E., Ryve, A., Stadler, E., & Viirman, O. (2014). Commognitive analyses of the learning and teaching of mathematics at university level: The case of discursive shifts in the study of Calculus. Research in Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2014.918338
Presmeg, N. (2016). Commognition as a lens for research. Educational Studies in Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-015-9676-1
Putut, E., Emanuel, L., & Anam, F. (2022). Sebuah Tinjauan Commognitive : Apakah Matriks Singular ? BRILIANT Jurnal Riset Dan Konseptual, 7(54), 922–930. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.28926/briliant.v7i4.1073
Putut, E., Emanuel, L., Nusantara, T., & Rahardi, R. (2024). Does Domain of Absolute Value Function Always Positive ? Commognitive-Conflict Analysis of Students of First Semester. Qalamuna: Jurnal Pendidikan, Agama, Dan Sosial, 16(2), 795–806. https://doi.org/10.37680/qalamuna.v16i2.5169
Putut, E., Emanuel, L., Nusantara, T., Rahman, A., & Rahardi, R. (2023). Why am I confused ? Commognitive Conflict in Non-ordinary Question About Number Division. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, 6(5s), 891–901. Retrieved from https://jrtdd.com/index.php/journal/article/view/644
Sfard, A. (2008). Thinking as Communicating. In Thinking as Communicating. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511499944
Sfard, A. (2018). Commognition. In Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77487-9_100031-1
Sfard, A. (2020). Commognition. In Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15789-0_100031
Sternberg, R. J., & Zhang, L. F. (2014). Perspectives on thinking, learning, and cognitive styles. In Perspectives on Thinking, Learning, and Cognitive Styles. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410605986
Tabach, M., & Nachlieli, T. (2016). Communicational perspectives on learning and teaching mathematics: prologue. Educational Studies in Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-015-9638-7
Thoma, A., & Nardi, E. (2018). Transition from School to University Mathematics: Manifestations of Unresolved Commognitive Conflict in First Year Students’ Examination Scripts. International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40753-017-0064-3
Trautwein, C., & Bosse, E. (2017). The first year in higher education—critical requirements from the student perspective. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0098-5
van Rooij, E. C. M., Jansen, E. P. W. A., & van de Grift, W. J. C. M. (2018a). First-year university students’ academic success: the importance of academic adjustment. European Journal of Psychology of Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-017-0347-8
van Rooij, E. C. M., Jansen, E. P. W. A., & van de Grift, W. J. C. M. (2018b). First-year university students’ academic success: the importance of academic adjustment. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 33(4), 749–767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-017-0347-8
Viirman, O. (2015). Explanation, motivation and question posing routines in university mathematics teachers’ pedagogical discourse: a commognitive analysis. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2015.1034206
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Endrayana Putut Laksminto Emanuel, Herfa Maulina Dewi Soewardini, Meilantifa Meilantifa, Radhitya Duta Pradana, Sikky El Walida

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




