Manipulative-based instructional sequences have proven to be successful with students with disabilities. However, instruction must not only support the acquisition of conceptual and procedural knowledge but also build on students' strengths. This article describes how teachers can use manipulative-based instructional sequences to support the…

Proof validation plays a significant role in students' understanding and learning of mathematical proofs. Recent studies have shown that university students were lacking skills in proof validation and were challenged by the implementation of the appropriate acceptance criteria when validating proofs. Drawing on Habermas' construct and rational…

This study contributes to the literature on linear algebra instruction by designing and researching a teaching sequence based on APOS Theory to introduce engineering students to vector spaces. The sequence offers students multiple opportunities to understand the concept. Another contribution is the evidence that introducing prerequisite…

Beginning a mathematics lesson involving a challenging task with a carefully chosen preliminary experience is an effective means of activating student cognition. In this article, the authors highlight a variety of preliminary experiences, each with a different structure and form, all designed to support students to more successfully engage with…

Quadratics provide a foundational context for making sense of many important algebraic concepts, such as variables and parameters, nonlinear rates of change, and views of function. Yet researchers have highlighted students' difficulties in connecting such concepts. This in-depth qualitative study with two pairs of Year 10 (15 or 16-year-old)…

This dissertation examines the development of combinatorial reasoning in high school students through an in-depth analysis of a problem-solving session involving the Pizza Problem. The study, part of the long-term Rutgers-Kenilworth longitudinal research project, focuses on four 11th-grade students as they explore and connect concepts related to…

Seeds of Algebraic Thinking comes from the Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) perspective of learning. KiP is a systems approach to learning that stems from the constructivist idea that people learn by building on prior knowledge. As people experience the world, they acquire small, sub-conceptual knowledge elements. When people engage in a particular…

The paper presents analyses of multivariable calculus learning-teaching phenomena through the lenses of DNR-based instruction, focusing on several foundational calculus concepts, including "cross product," "linearization," "total derivative," "Chain Rule," and "implicit differentiation." The…

We introduce the concept of the "sequence of the ratios of convex quadrilaterals," identify some properties of these sequences and use them to provide new characterizations for some classic quadrilateral families. The research involves aspects of geometry, arithmetic and mathematical analysis, which converge to produce the results.

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…

The ability to interpret mathematical symbols and understand how they capture contextual relationships is a critical element of algebraic thinking. More often than not, students see algebra as merely a list of rules for manipulating abstract symbols, with limited to no meaning. Instead, for students to see algebra as a powerful tool and rich way…

In this reflection of teaching, we describe a series of activities that introduce the Taylor series through dynamic visual representations with explicit connections to students' prior learning. Over the past several decades, educators have noted that curricular materials tend to present the Taylor series in a way that students often interpret as…

Research has shown that there is a need to examine prospective teachers' development trajectories related to noticing expertise. An important content in the Spanish high school curriculum (16-18 years old) is the limit concept. Given the importance of this concept in the curriculum and the difficulties some prospective teachers have, developing…

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,…

Scientific ideas are often expressed as mathematical equations. Understanding the ideas contained within these equations requires making sense of both the embedded mathematics knowledge and scientific knowledge. Students who can engage in this type of blended sensemaking are more successful at solving novel or more complex problems with these…