Perceived difficulty in Mathematics Education

Mathematics education researchers have widely studied the possible characteristics that influence the difficulty of solving a task. This study focuses on the perspective of students and teachers and their perceived difficulty, which have not been equally addressed. Difficulty in an absolute sense and perceived difficulty are different but intertwined: task characteristics can shape students’ and teachers’ perceptions, and these perceptions of difficulty can affect the solver’s behaviour, influencing the accuracy of the response. Our study focuses on the factors influencing secondary school students’ and teachers’ evaluations of task difficulty. We describe the process that led to the development of macro-categories for perceived difficulty, highlighting both the study’s limitations and potential directions for future research.