Proving is a process that has important roles in terms of learning and teaching in almost all the areas of mathematics. Because the process of proof constructions an extensive process that includes skills as mathematical thinking, reasoning and making connections. Reasoning is one of the most important components of this process. However, most…

This article is concerned with cognitive aspects of students' struggles in situations in which familiar concepts are reconsidered in a new mathematical domain. Examples of such cross-curricular concepts are divisibility in the domain of integers and in the domain of polynomials, multiplication in the domain of numbers and in the domain of vectors,…

When establishing connections among representations of associated mathematical concepts, students encounter different difficulties and successes along the way. The purpose of this study was to uncover information about and gain greater insight into how student processes connections. Pre-calculus students were observed and interviewed while…

One area of algebraic thinking essential for students' success is a relational understanding of the equal sign. Research has indicated a positive correlation between students' relational understanding of the equal sign and their equation-solving performance, suggesting that students' early conception of the equal sign may affect their learning and…

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) highlight the importance of students' conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning, and problem solving in order to prepare students for college and careers. However, the success of this reform effort largely depends on how teachers actually design and implement instruction based on the…

Based on a study with six elementary school teachers and 115 students in grades 3, 4, and 5, this article discusses ways that teachers might support an understanding of variable as students explore pattern-finding activities. The practices emerged from interviews with teachers and a yearlong observation of teaching algebraic thinking during an…

This article reports on a study that investigated the extent to which 57 Grade 6 students at a particular school have misconceptions regarding equality, with the equal sign as focus. It also investigated this school's three Grade 5 and 6 teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching regarding equality, again focusing on the equal sign. The…

The purpose of this research was to explore to what extent probing learners' errors on simplifying algebraic fractions would help them to reduce those errors. The study assumed that students' errors and misconceptions persist because they handle mathematical concepts as if they were isolated chunks of knowledge. A sample of 15 grade 10 girls took…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pre-service teachers' conceptions about the limit of same partial functions given in the form of both graphical and symbolic, the misconception that the pre-service teachers have the concept of limit, and whether there were any differences between pre-service teachers' algebraic performance and…

The aim of this study was to evaluate preservice primary mathematics teachers' ability to discuss and investigate students' thinking process about the concepts of variable, equality and equation, to analyse their ability to predict student difficulties and misconceptions and, in this respect, to present their subject-matter knowledge and possible…

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the errors made by 265 Form 2 male students in simplifying algebraic expressions. Method: A total of 265 Form 2 (Grade 7) male students were selected for this study. 10 high, medium and low ability students in each group were selected for the interviews. 40 items were administered to the respondents to…

Although current reform movements have stressed the importance of developing prospective middle school mathematics teachers' subject matter knowledge and understandings, there is a dearth of research studies with regard to prospective middle school teachers' confidence and knowledge with respect to quadratic functions. This study was intended to…

Algebra uses symbols for generalizing arithmetic. These symbols have different meanings and interpretations in different situations. Students have different perceptions about these symbols, letters and signs. Despite the vast research by on the students' difficulties in understanding letters in Algebra, the overall image that emerges from the…

This article reports results from a study focused on teachers' knowledge of students' understanding of core algebraic concepts. In particular, the study examined middle school mathematics teachers' knowledge of students' understanding of the equal sign and variable, and students' success applying their understanding of these concepts. Interview…