Boosting Romanian students' interest in learning mathematics through the constructivist approach

This paper aims to describe the dynamics of student interest in mathematics over the levels of education, focusing on identifying the pedagogical factors involved in teaching and learning mathematics. The theoretical premises of this paper are included in national studies on curriculum reform in Romania (coordinator L. Vlasceanu-2002 CNEE-2012), in works on constructivism in education (Siebert). From direct observations and practical experience with Maths teachers, we noticed that as students advance on the steps of schooling, they do not show the same interest in Mathematics. The constructivist approach with emphasis on the affective dimension of learning, on the positive motivation, on solving concrete tasks, keeps "up" the students' interest in mathematics. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.