Competence with rational numbers is essential for mathematics proficiency in secondary mathematics. However, many students struggle with rational number concepts, and students with mathematics difficulties struggle even more. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an intervention that incorporated the use of explicit instruction…

Numerous studies (Anwar et al., 2016; Carpenter et al., 1980; Huang & Witz, 2013; Outhred & Mitchelmore, 1996; Machaba, 2016; Van de Walle, Karp & Bay-Williams, 2014; Winarti et al., 2012) have shown that students need help understanding the concept of area and perimeter. This study aimed to investigate what students know about finding…

Conceptual and procedural instruction order may affect students' learning and generalization of math skills. This study compared two instruction sequences, concepts-first and iterative, and their effect on fraction performance through a class-wide intervention. Fourth-grade students (N = 114) were randomly assigned to the concepts-first,…

This study used fraction number line estimation tasks to evaluate students' developmental patterns, and the relationship of such tasks with whole number bias was explored. In total, 189 fourth-grade students in a northern Taiwan elementary school were followed over 2 years. The results demonstrated that the students' fraction learning development…

In this study, we examine students' mathematical reasoning within a technological environment designed to support understanding of relationships between quantities with adjustable measuring units. In particular, we provide a cross-sectional snapshot of how 30 elementary students (Grades 3-5) engaged in a series of fraction-as-measurement tasks…

Understanding of the equal sign is associated with early algebraic competence in the elementary grades and equation-solving success in middle school. Thus, it is important to find ways to build foundational understanding of the equal sign as a relational symbol. Past work promoted a conception of the equal sign as meaning "the same as".…

This article describes the two types of reasoning in fraction conceptions that students often use, "gap" and "missing piece," and one that the authors aspire their students to reach, "residual." Each of these types of reasoning are underpinned by a different conception of fractions. Students who use "gap…

This research paper examines tasks related to mean, median, and mode in seven Swedish textbook series for students aged between 10-13 years. The tasks were analysed based on context, mathematical properties, input and output objects, and transformations. These categories allowed for a thorough analysis of the opportunities afforded to students to…

This study investigated the effects of working memory load (WML) and automaticity on mental addition through an examination of both task and individual characteristics within the framework of cognitive load theory. Results from 73 fourth graders showed that WML, automaticity, and their interaction had significant effects on mental addition.…

The relation to operands (RO) principles describe the relation between operands and answers in arithmetic problems (e.g., the sum is always larger than its positive addends). Despite being a fundamental property of arithmetic, its empirical relation with arithmetic/algebraic problem solving has seldom been investigated. The current longitudinal…

It was aimed to reveal the informal statistical inferences of primary school students on the concept of variability. A phenomenographic research approach was adopted. A task was adapted and used as a data collection tool. Clinical interviews were conducted with 20 primary school students from each grade level. Data were analyzed within the context…

For students to develop adequate conceptual understanding about fractions, they require experiences that afford them opportunities to think flexibly about multiple interpretations of fractions. This article presents a sequence of lessons designed to offer such experiences for students in Years 3 and Year 4. The lessons adopt a challenging tasks…

Engineering design is being increasingly included in elementary education, typically to provide students with opportunities to apply science and mathematics concepts while developing their engineering practices. An important question is how to prepare teachers who can help students develop more informed engineering practices during classroom…

Students' understanding of the meaning of the equal sign develops slowly over the primary grades. In addition to updating their representations of equations to recognize that the equal sign represents an equivalence relation rather than signaling an operation, students need to move beyond full computation to efficiently solve equivalence problems.…

How can students achieve an understanding of multiplication that allows them to go beyond recall to explain their thinking? Author and mathematics education professor Juli Dixon introduces a program that teachers can seamlessly integrate into existing mathematics instruction. Learn six tactics to help you shift from an anxiety-producing,…