In this study which was part of the DISUM-project, 224 ninth graders from
14 German classes from middle track schools (Realschule) were asked about their
enjoyment, interest, value and self-efficacy expectations concerning three types of
mathematical problems: intra-mathematical problems, word problems and modelling
problems. Enjoyment, interest, value and self-efficacy were assessed before and after a
ten-lesson teaching unit promoting modelling competency related to the topics
“Pythagoras’ theorem” and “linear functions”. The study aimed to answer the following
research questions: (1) Do students’ enjoyment, value, interest and self-efficacy
expectations differ depending on the type of task? (2) Does the treatment of modelling
problems in classroom instruction influence these variables? (3) Are there any
differential effects for different ways of teaching modelling problems, including a
“directive”, teacher-centred instruction and an “operative-strategic”, more studentcentred instruction emphasising group work and strategic scaffolding by the teacher?
The findings show that there were no differences in students’ enjoyment, interest, value
and self-efficacy between the three types of tasks. However, teaching oriented towards
modelling problems had positive effects on some of the student variables, with the
student-centred teaching method producing the most beneficial effects.