Algebra as a study of quantitative relationship is one of four conceptions of school algebra which serves as a foundation for the concept of function. However, there is still a lack of attention to this particular relationship, especially in early algebraic reasoning. This study aims to investigate how the aspect of quantitative relationship in…

Forty 4th and 9th grade students participated individually in tutorial interviews centered on a problem-solving activity designed for learning basic algebra mechanics through diagrammatic modeling of an engaging narrative about a buccaneering giant burying and unearthing her treasure on a desert island. Participants were randomly assigned to…

The study of functions has traditionally received the most attention at the secondary level, both in curricula and in standards documents--for example, the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) and "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] 2000). However, the…

How can children's natural perceptuo-motor skills be harnessed for teaching and learning mathematical structure? We address this question in the case of the integers. Existing research suggests that adult mental representations of integers recruit perceptuo-motor functionalities involving symmetry. Building on these findings, we designed a…

Algebra is often described as the gateway to higher mathematics (Carpenter, Franke, & Levi, 2003; Kaput, 2008; Kaput & Blanton, 2001; Mason, 2008). Unfortunately, many students do not navigate this gateway successfully. Kaput (2008) and Mason (2008) suggested that this is due in part to the abrupt switch from arithmetic to algebra that…