Identifying emerging algebraic reasoning

Catherine Pearn; Max Stephens; Qinqong Zhang; Robyn Pierce

Identifying emerging algebraic reasoning

Catherine Pearn, Max Stephens, Qinqong Zhang, Robyn Pierce

Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

Research output: Contribution to conference › Presentation

Abstract

Multiplicative thinking and generalisation are recognised as key to developing algebraic reasoning. In this exploratory study, conducted with 10-12 years old students from Australia and China, fraction tasks which require students to find the “whole”, rather than the part, are used to identify students’ progress towards algebraic thinking. Frameworks to classify their solution strategies, and degree of algebraic reasoning, allow teachers to chart student progress. While the Australian students demonstrated a greater range of methods the Chinese students favoured multiplicative methods with given numbers, but this did not always translate to generalisation. Students who generalised proficiently showed clear evidence of algebraic reasoning.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 7 Jul 2019
Event	Proceedings of the 43rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education - Pretoria, South Africa Duration: 7 Jul 2019 → …

Conference

Conference	Proceedings of the 43rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education
Period	7/07/19 → …

Keywords

algebraic reasoning
mathematics education
multiplicative thinking

Disciplines

Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
Science and Mathematics Education

Access to Document

https://bepress-attached-resources.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/48/b3/59/48b35902-9216-4c41-bb95-6c382ebd89ce/Pearn.pdf

Cite this

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title = "Identifying emerging algebraic reasoning",

abstract = " Multiplicative thinking and generalisation are recognised as key to developing algebraic reasoning. In this exploratory study, conducted with 10-12 years old students from Australia and China, fraction tasks which require students to find the “whole”, rather than the part, are used to identify students{\textquoteright} progress towards algebraic thinking. Frameworks to classify their solution strategies, and degree of algebraic reasoning, allow teachers to chart student progress. While the Australian students demonstrated a greater range of methods the Chinese students favoured multiplicative methods with given numbers, but this did not always translate to generalisation. Students who generalised proficiently showed clear evidence of algebraic reasoning.",

keywords = "algebraic reasoning, mathematics education, multiplicative thinking",

author = "Catherine Pearn and Max Stephens and Qinqong Zhang and Robyn Pierce",

note = "Pearn, C., Stephens, M., Zhang, Q., & Pierce, R. (2019). Identifying emerging algebraic reasoning. In: Graven, M., Venkat, H., Essien, A. & Vale, P. (Eds). Proceedings of the 43rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol 3), (pp. 201-208). Pretoria, South Africa: PME.; Proceedings of the 43rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education ; Conference date: 07-07-2019",

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AU - Zhang, Qinqong

AU - Pierce, Robyn

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PY - 2019/7/7

Y1 - 2019/7/7

N2 - Multiplicative thinking and generalisation are recognised as key to developing algebraic reasoning. In this exploratory study, conducted with 10-12 years old students from Australia and China, fraction tasks which require students to find the “whole”, rather than the part, are used to identify students’ progress towards algebraic thinking. Frameworks to classify their solution strategies, and degree of algebraic reasoning, allow teachers to chart student progress. While the Australian students demonstrated a greater range of methods the Chinese students favoured multiplicative methods with given numbers, but this did not always translate to generalisation. Students who generalised proficiently showed clear evidence of algebraic reasoning.

AB - Multiplicative thinking and generalisation are recognised as key to developing algebraic reasoning. In this exploratory study, conducted with 10-12 years old students from Australia and China, fraction tasks which require students to find the “whole”, rather than the part, are used to identify students’ progress towards algebraic thinking. Frameworks to classify their solution strategies, and degree of algebraic reasoning, allow teachers to chart student progress. While the Australian students demonstrated a greater range of methods the Chinese students favoured multiplicative methods with given numbers, but this did not always translate to generalisation. Students who generalised proficiently showed clear evidence of algebraic reasoning.

KW - algebraic reasoning

KW - mathematics education

KW - multiplicative thinking

M3 - Presentation

T2 - Proceedings of the 43rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education

Y2 - 7 July 2019

ER -