Thirty-seven third graders and thirty-two first graders engaged in solving a tangram puzzle in the shape of a fox. They had five minutes to solve the puzzle, and after this time, they received guidance on the particular piece they had difficulties with. Through the lenses of navigating flexible abstraction, reinterpretation, combinations, and…

Representations are key to mathematical activities and meaning-making processes as they are part of modeling, connecting, communicating, and understanding mathematical ideas and concepts. The current study sought to examine a group of novice algebra learners' interactions with different representations from an onto-semiotic approach. A case study…

In India, a curriculum reform inspired by critical perspectives has sought to transform primary mathematics teaching and learning. It is aimed at strengthening socio-cultural-political connections between school mathematics and students' life experiences, thereby challenging traditional textbook culture. At the same time, this initiative has…

Enjoyment in learning mathematics is often perceived to be a positive, desirable emotion in the learning process. However, the findings of this study indicate that it can act as a barrier to persevering in mathematical reasoning by reinforcing a focus on habitual behaviours and inhibiting self-regulatory behaviours. The study identifies…

In this paper, we analyze an investigative situation proposed to a class of 5th graders in a primary school. The situation is based on the following task: In a sale with group rates on a sliding scale, the students must find the lowest possible purchase price for a given number of tickets. A study of students' arguments made it possible to…

Presents a case study of a first-grade class and their teacher who were observed as they ascribed mathematical meanings of numbers and of numerical operations to empirical phenomena. Differences in ascriptions led to negotiation of meanings. Discusses some indirect relations between social interaction and mathematics learning. (Contains 60…