Developing structure sense is an important part of learning algebra. We investigated learners' structure sense of algebraic expressions involving brackets. This led us to propose the constructs "surface structure" sense and "systemic structure" sense. Using a random sample of 58 Grade 10 learners scoring above 40% in a test, we…

Urban and rural children have different levels of performance in arithmetic processing. This study investigated whether such a residence difference can be explained by phonological processing. A total of 1,501 Chinese primary school students from urban and rural areas were recruited to complete nine cognitive tasks: two in arithmetic performance…

The present study aimed to examine the opinions of in-and preservice middle school mathematics teachers about teaching four operations with integers through "number line" and/or "counters". Participants were 42 middle school mathematics teachers and 51 pre-service mathematics teachers. The data were collected through open-ended…

This study aims to investigate the effect of history-of-mathematics activities on the development of mental computation of middle-grade students and to determine the students' views on the history of mathematics. This study was carried out as an action research project. The participants of the study consisted of 19 seventh-grade students studying…

This research aimed to develop a valid and reliable test to be used to detect sixth grade students' misconceptions and errors regarding the subject of fractions. A misconception diagnostic test has been developed that includes the concept of fractions, different representations of fractions, ordering and comparing fractions, equivalence of…

The aim of the study was to determine the concepts that primary school fourth-grade students reveal with their mind maps related to four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and to compare the mind map and achievement test scores. In the study, a mixed method was used in which quantitative and qualitative data were…

The aim of this study is to investigate Danish pre-service teachers' (PSTs) mathematical and didactical knowledge of operations with rational numbers. This knowledge is studied through their collaborative activities to certain tasks related to the teaching of operations with rational numbers. An explicit model of the teachers' mathematical and…

Mathematics educators and researchers have advocated for the use of manipulatives to teach mathematics for decades. The purpose of this article is to provide illustrative uses of a readily available manipulative rather than a complete list. From an Australian perspective, Pop-it fidget toys can be used across the mathematics curriculum. This paper…

This paper presents an analysis of fractions errors displayed by learners due to deficient mastery of prerequisite concepts. Fractions continue to pose a critical challenge for learners. Fractions can be a tricky concept for learners although they often use the concept of sharing in their daily lives. 30 purposefully sampled learners participated…

This study aimed to reveal the conceptual and operational conceptions of sixth-grade students in the process of division. The focus of the study included the strategies used in the division process, the students' understanding of the division algorithm, and their ability to interpret the remainder in a real-life context. Being qualitative in…

This study reports errors and misconceptions about division operation in fractions made by eighth-grade students. To investigate these errors and misconceptions, the study examined students' understanding of division operation in fractions using a questionnaire and expectation table. Students' misconceptions were determined for each question and…

In the present research, we provide empirical evidence for the process of symbolic integration of number associations, focusing on the development of simple addition (e.g., 5 + 3 = 8), subtraction (e.g., 5 - 3 = 2), and multiplication (e.g., 5 × 3 = 15). Canadian children were assessed twice, in Grade 2 and Grade 3 (N = 244; 55% girls). All…

Strategy flexibility, adaptivity, and the use of clever shortcut strategies are of major importance in current primary school mathematics education worldwide. However, empirical results show that primary school students use such shortcut strategies rather infrequently. The aims of the present study were to analyze the extent to which Dutch sixth…

Fraction arithmetic is among the most important and difficult topics children encounter in elementary and middle school mathematics. Braithwaite, Pyke, and Siegler (2017) hypothesized that difficulties learning fraction arithmetic often reflect reliance on associative knowledge--rather than understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures--to…

Fraction arithmetic is among the most important and difficult topics children encounter in elementary and middle school mathematics. Braithwaite, Pyke, and Siegler (2017) hypothesized that difficulties learning fraction arithmetic often reflect reliance on associative knowledge--rather than understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures--to…