The ability to apply mathematical knowledge to solve real-life problems is often considered one of the fundamental educational goals. However, more attention in mathematics education has been given to the development of abstract mathematical computations in symbolic form. The current investigation aims to disclose whether there are different…

The article reports aspects of the evolution of a teaching approach over repeated trials for beginning symbolic algebra. The teaching approach emphasized the structural similarity between arithmetic and algebraic expressions and aimed at supporting students in making a transition from arithmetic to beginning algebra. The study was conducted with…

This study was designed to determine whether (1) rules are more easily memorized when stated in mathematical symbolism or when stated verbally, and whether (2) the ability to use constituent symbols correctly, assuming mastery of the underlying grammar, is a necessary and/or sufficient condition for applying a learned rule statement. Twenty-four…