Simplifying equations via assumptions is integral to the "engineering method." Algebraic scaling helps in teaching the engineering skill of making good assumptions. Algebraic scaling is more than a pedagogical tool. It can create a solution where one was not possible before scaling. Scaling helps in engineering proper design…

Students often instrumentally use variables and unknowns without considering the variational thinking behind them. Using parameters to modify the coefficients or unknowns in equations or systems of linear equations (without altering their structure) involves consciously incorporating variational thinking into problem-solving. We will test the…

Reversibility thinking carried out mentally in mathematical operations has an important role in the process of understanding concepts as it involves developing a thinking process from beginning to end and from end to beginning. This qualitative research aims to describe students' reversible thinking processes in solving algebra problems,…

This paper describes the design, implementation, and results of a training action with prospective primary education teachers, focusing on the creation of problems involving proportional and algebraic reasoning. Prospective teachers must solve a proportionality problem using both arithmetic and algebraic procedures, and then vary it to motivate…

The notion of function is central in all of the secondary curriculum, and indeed functional models appear in almost all higher education that is based on mathematics. However, in secondary education, functions usually appear in restricted and somewhat sterile forms. In this (mostly theoretical) paper, we present a proposal -- exemplified by a…

Four variations of the Koch curve are presented. In each case, the similarity dimension, area bounded by the fractal and its initiator, and volume of revolution about the initiator are calculated. A range of classroom exercises are proved to allow students to investigate the fractals further.

Simulation studies are the basic tools of quantitative methodologists used to obtain empirical solutions to statistical problems that may be impossible to derive through direct mathematical computations. The successful execution of many simulation studies relies on the accurate generation of correlated multivariate data that adhere to a particular…

Research literature about visually impaired students' approach to mathematics is still very scarce, especially in the case of algebra, even though mathematical content is becoming increasingly accessible thanks to assistive technologies. This paper presents a case study aimed at describing a blind subject's process of algebraic symbol manipulation…

Students' success in physics problem-solving extends beyond conceptual knowledge of physics, relying significantly on their mathematics skills. Understanding the specific contributions of different mathematics skills to physics problem-solving can offer valuable insights for enhancing physics education. Yet such studies are rare, particularly at…

A teacher of mathematics knows mathematics as a teacher and as a mathematician. Whilst the existing research on teacher knowledge contributes to our understanding of the ways of knowing mathematics as a teacher, little is known about ways of knowing mathematics as a mathematician. Guided by the conceptual framework of mathematical practices (MPs)…

This study examines the direct and indirect effects of some affective constructs, such as self-efficacy (SE), mathematics anxiety (MA) and mathematics interest (MI) on algebraic problem solving achievement (PSA). The sample of the study consists of 400 class IX secondary school students in Morigaon district of Assam, India. The instruments…

Using Balacheff's (2013) model of conceptions, we inferred potential conceptions in three examples presented in the spanning sets section of an interactive linear algebra textbook. An analysis of student responses to two similar reading questions revealed additional strategies that students used to decide whether a vector was in the spanning set…

Algebraic thinking is the ability to generalize about numbers and calculations, find concepts from patterns and functions and form ideas using symbols. It is important to know the student's algebraic thinking process, by knowing the student's thinking process one can find out the location of student difficulties and the causes of these…

This article reports on an empirical study that investigates the way students' performance in solving arithmetical tasks may be related to their performance in solving algebraic tasks. The sample consisted of 203 Grade 6 students. The arithmetical tasks involved arithmetical expressions with known quantities, whereas the algebraic tasks involved…

This study explores the effects of a computer algebra system on students' mathematical thinking. Mathematical thinking is identified with mathematical thinking powers and structures. We define mathematical thinking as students' capacity to specialize and generalize their previous knowledge to solve new mathematical problems. The study was…