It has been over thirty years since the nuclear reactor meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but why there is still an officially designated exclusion zone? The Chernobyl Disaster Task combines the learning of exponential functions with properties of radioactive substances to help students understand the ongoing effects of the meltdown.…

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,…

In this paper, we present the development of an investigation on the promotion of covariational reasoning in high school students (14-15 years old) in Mexico. The study consists of designing and applying a sequence of didactic activities that simulate a real situation virtually. The activities are organized through a Hypothetical Learning…

Research has identified several students' misinterpretations of the principles of the photoelectric effect (PE). Students cannot interpret the formula using the graph's context despite the linear dependence inherited in it. Many studies pointed out that the graphical representation of kinetic energy of the ejected electrons versus frequency of…

Many literature studies point out how the process that moves the student from personal reasoning to the arrangement of fruitful argument could help them in the development of mathematical argumentative thinking. Starting from the above assumptions, in this paper we investigate the interaction among teacher/researcher and students in a Digital…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2014) highlights that effective teaching practices promote students' reasoning and sense making through various problem-solving strategies. Rather than telling students what to do and how to solve problems, teachers are expected to engage learners in accessible real-life problem situations…

This article describes a modeling project the author did with his algebra, geometry, and applications students in grades 9, 10, and 11 as an enrichment and exploration of an extremely relevant real-world phenomenon and introduction to the adult profession of epidemiologist. With discussion and exploration, this project consumed two periods of 88…

The purpose of this research was to describe the positions and causes of students' errors in algebraic thinking based on the cognitive style. This study was qualitative research with subject consisting of twelve students. The results showed that (1) students with Field Independent type tended to make errors at the stage of comprehension,…

Scholars propose that contextual problems can be used to ground students' understanding of mathematical ideas, and recent curricular trends have resulted in a plethora of resources that introduce and develop new mathematical ideas through contextual problems (CPs). Given the tension between this approach and the traditional role of CPs as…

"Algebra-as-gatekeeper" is a powerful paradigm that structures students' experiences within mathematics class, as well as their future educational trajectories. In this paper, I show how modeling--when conceived as a culturally relevant practice--can support students to make sense of the key ideas of algebra as well as develop positive…

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) states that high school students should be able to recognize patterns of growth in linear, quadratic, and exponential functions and construct such functions from tables of data (CCSSI 2010). In their work with practicing secondary teachers, the authors found that teachers may make some tacit…

Why are math modeling problems the source of such frustration for students and teachers? The conceptual understanding that students have when engaging with a math modeling problem varies greatly. They need opportunities to make their own assumptions and design the mathematics to fit these assumptions (CCSSI 2010). Making these assumptions is part…

Mathematical modeling has taken on increasing curricular importance in the past decade due in no small measure to the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM) identifying modeling as one of the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP 4, CCSSI 2010, p. 7). Although researchers have worked on mathematical modeling (Lesh and Doerr 2003;…

Human beings are having a profound impact on the environment. The opportunity to investigate this timely issue during one or two class periods gives algebra and precalculus students insight into a sustainability topic of great international concern--carbon footprints. Students use mathematical thinking in matters that are pertinent to their…

As students develop algebraic reasoning in grades 5 to 9, they learn to recognize patterns and understand expressions, equations, and variables. Linear functions are a focus in eighth-grade mathematics, and by algebra 1, students must make sense of functions that are not linear. This article describes how students worked through a classroom task…