Although there have been a huge number of attempts to improve school algebra teaching, several countries are still struggling to improve students algebraic skills. In this study, we focus on the specific case of Sweden where students for several decades have had major problems mastering algebra. In order to get a better understanding of the…

To be successful in algebra, students need access to high-quality instruction that includes opportunities to develop their algebraic understanding. Yet research on algebra teaching suggests that instruction remains procedurally focused, indicating that teachers may need additional support to provide students such opportunities. One possible lever…

In agreement with the main tenets of the anthropological theory of the didactic (ATD), this study uncovers dependencies between what students can learn, the established curriculum and the current state of mathematicians' mathematics ('scholarly mathematics'). One main result is that the mathematics taught, too often taken for granted by curriculum…

Mathematics continues to be one of the most significant barriers to student success, particularly in the community college sector. Many students are placed into the algebra-based track, which is often viewed as the "safe" or most desirable option, when they likely would have been better served in an alternative mathematics pathway more…

New Visions for Public Schools is in the third year of supporting a network of 18 New York City public schools to address uneven student success in Algebra 1. One of the ways New Visions is helping schools achieve greater equity in algebra is by supporting them to use a shared curriculum. But how is it known if the shared curriculum is making a…

An important topic of study in secondary mathematics is non-linear functions, including quadratic equations. In this study, findings from 25 Year 11 students indicated that difficulties with critical prerequisite concepts such as algebraic conventions impeded students' success in understanding and working with quadratics. Analysis of student…

Our aim is to contribute to the body of research on learning trajectories (LTs) in mathematics by making visible a process for articulating a hypothetical learning trajectory implicit in a widely adopted, reform-based, middle-grades mathematics curriculum. In doing so, we highlight considerations, decisions, and challenges we faced as part of this…

This study reports a small part of a large-scale study. In this vein, trends in cognitive demand levels of mathematical tasks in the Algebra Learning Domain of 5 mathematics textbooks prepared according to four middle school mathematics curricula that have been updated since the beginning of the 2000s in Turkey were determined. This study is a…

This paper presents data from the first of three iterations of teaching experiments conducted with secondary teachers. The purpose of the experiments was to investigate how teachers' combinatorial reasoning could support their development of algebraic structure, specifically structural relationships between the roots and coefficients of…

A strong foundation in math is crucial for critical thinking, future careers, and navigating our data-driven world. This Spotlight will help readers identify new initiatives to address gaps in students' math skills; catch up on the debate over the best way to teach math; learn how teachers can build on students' curiosity for math; explore how to…

This research delves into the attitudes, perceptions, and motivations of student-athletes enrolled in Intermediate Algebra courses. It focuses on the distinct challenges they encounter in juggling academic and athletic responsibilities at a southeastern university in the United States. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study gathered…

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the Illustrative Mathematics (IM) using data from teacher interviews from year 1 and year 3 of their implementation of IM. In year 1, 22 Algebra 1 teachers were interviewed; in year 3, 13 teachers participated. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured protocol that included…

Well-written curriculum materials are known to support teacher learning. Less discussion has focused on whether teachers' guides, curriculum materials written specifically for teachers by textbook publishers, provide sufficient support. In this study, I analyse four US-based mathematics teachers' guides to understand the opportunities within them…

In this paper, we explore student solutions to a free response mathematical assessment task which had opportunities for students to notice structural properties in the context of number systems. In total, 308 students aged between 10 years to 13 years participated in the study. Their responses were analysed to determine whether they noticed…

Spanish educational curriculum adopts a mathematical process-based approach, which encompasses problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections and representation. A fundamental role in the integration of these processes in mathematics teaching is played by teachers' professional practice of designing tasks. According to this, our…