Recent research has highlighted the role of functional relationships in introducing elementary school students to algebraic thinking. This functional approach is here considered to study essential components of algebraic thinking such as generalization and its representation, as well as the strategies used by students and their connection with…

In this study, we investigated how secondary students interpret algebraic expressions that contain literal symbols to stand for variables. We hypothesized that the natural number bias (i.e., the tendency to over-rely on knowledge and experiences based on natural numbers) would affect students to think that the literal symbols stand for natural…

The variational thinking of high school students based on mathematical connections was analyzed through a laboratory on linear functions. This qualitative research based on design was developed in three phases: diagnostic test, implementation of the mathematics laboratory and final test, with students from a public institution in Barranquilla,…

The mathematics education literature indicates a consensus regarding the importance of developing algebraic thinking in elementary school mathematics. However, the approaches used to implement this concept vary around the world. This study examines how a popular standards-based elementary mathematics textbook series in China provides opportunities…

In this paper, we explore student solutions to a free response mathematical assessment task which had opportunities for students to notice structural properties in the context of number systems. In total, 308 students aged between 10 years to 13 years participated in the study. Their responses were analysed to determine whether they noticed…

Spanish educational curriculum adopts a mathematical process-based approach, which encompasses problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections and representation. A fundamental role in the integration of these processes in mathematics teaching is played by teachers' professional practice of designing tasks. According to this, our…

This article uses the concurrent mixed methods design to explore the errors made by 171 Grade Seven learners in algebraic problem-solving within the Assin Central Municipality in Ghana. The participants were categorized into low-achieving and high-achieving groups based on their performance in a pretest, to help provide a detailed examination of…

We report the results of a study on informal covariate statistical reasoning conducted with 22 students (aged 16 and 18 years). We designed and implemented a task in a digital technology environment to introduce the line of best fit. The task design having elements that foresee misconceptions reported in the literature, and by focusing on four…

As proof and proving are the key elements of mathematics, several frameworks evaluating this process have been presented. Proof image, being one of them, was introduced by Kidron and Dreyfus (2014) through analyses of two mathematicians' activities. Authors clarified it in the context of components, and emphasized its relation with formal proof.…

Background: Key to optimizing Computational Thinking (CT) instruction is a precise understanding of the underlying cognitive skills. Román-González et al. (2017) reported unique contributions of spatial abilities and reasoning, whereas arithmetic was not significantly related to CT. Disentangling the influence of spatial and numerical skills on CT…

Student insight into algebraic formulas, including the ability to identify the structure of a formula and its components and to reason with and about formulas, is an issue in mathematics education. In this study, we investigated how 16- and 17-year-old pre-university students' insight into algebraic formulas can be promoted through graphing…

The importance of students being acquainted with algebraic ideas before secondary education has been revealed in the research literature. It is therefore essential that prospective elementary teachers (PTs) be prepared to instill an early algebra perspective in their teaching. However, PTs often show difficulties in algebra content knowledge,…

One of the challenges of understanding the complexity of so-called reform mathematics instruction lies in the observational tools used to capture it. This article introduces a unique tool, drawing from commognitive theory, for describing classroom discussions. The Realization Tree Assessment tool provides an image of a classroom discussion,…

Researching students' responses to tasks at different year levels and in varied curriculum contexts can provide insights that relate their understandings to prior learning experiences and teaching approaches. In this article, we discuss evidence of students from three curriculum contexts (English, Australian, and Israeli) (n = 350) ways of…

Explaining appears to dominate primary teachers' understanding of mathematical reasoning when it is not confused with problem solving. Drawing on previous literature of mathematical reasoning, we generate a view of the critical aspects of reasoning that may assist primary teachers when designing and enacting tasks to elicit and develop…