Developing students' competence in algorithmic thinking is emerging as an objective of mathematics education, but despite its inclusion in mathematics curricula around the world, research into students' algorithmic thinking seems to be falling behind in this curriculum reform. The aim of this study was to investigate how the mathematical modelling…

Programming-based activities are becoming more widespread in curricula. Our theoretical and empirical investigation seeks to identify appropriate ways to connect computer programming and algorithmics to mathematical learning. We take the intermediate value theorem as our starting point, as it is covered by the French school curriculum, and because…

Mathematics education is like many scientific disciplines witnessing an increase in scientific output. Examining and reviewing every paper in an area in detail are time-consuming, making comprehensive reviews a challenging task. Unsupervised machine learning algorithms like topic models have become increasingly popular in recent years. Their…

In mathematics classrooms, it is common practice to work through a series of comparable tasks provided in a textbook. A central question in mathematics education is if tasks should be accompanied with solution methods, or if students should construct the solutions themselves. To explore the impact of these two task designs on student behavior…

Explores written calculation methods for division used by pupils in England (n=276) and the Netherlands (n=259). Analyses informal strategies and identifies progression towards more structured procedures that result from different teaching approaches. Comparison of methods used shows greater success in the Dutch approach which is based on…

Analyzes a didactical sequence for the teaching of addition and subtraction procedures and algorithms. Uses didactical procedures by children in problem solving activities in order to gain a better understanding of the interaction between numbers, numeration, and operations knowledge which are involved in the construction of addition and…

Describes the success, the methods (mental, informal written, standard algorithm) and the strategies of informal written arithmetic to be observed when 300 elementary students worked on six addition and six subtraction problems with three-digit numbers. (Author/MM)

Fourth graders' (n=117) solutions to addition problems were analyzed in terms of standard or idiosyncratic written algorithms. Students had not previously been taught pencil-and-paper algorithms. Preference for horizontal layout, working from left to right, and a wide variety of written algorithms were found. (Contains 48 references.) (Author/MKR)

The focus is upon the introduction of multiplication within the framework of an algorithm program. Analysis of some observations of student solutions to multiplication problems is included. (MN)

Students recognized as less successful individuals in mathematics are tested for their understanding of fractions. The data reveals that most were only able to apply remembered rules to problems without actually knowing if the rule worked for the given situation. (MP)

Reports on a study into the problem solving abilities of students in a Jamaican high school who were intentionally taught problem solving strategies during one-sixth of their mathematics instruction for one academic year. Results indicated no significant increases in their performance on a problem solving test. (TW)

Common mathematical errors of pupils as identified by the Concepts in Secondary Mathematics and Science Project are identified and traced to the use of methods invented by students rather than formally taught methods. (MP)

This paper presents a theoretical framework for investigating the role of algorithms in mathematical thinking using a combined ontological-psychological outlook. The intent is to demonstrate that the processes of learning and of problem solving incorporate an elaborate interplay between operational and structural conceptualizations of the same…