The number line has been proposed as a central construct used by students to solve a range of mathematics problems. Given the capacity of number lines to represent all real numbers and to be used in a variety of contexts, there have been calls to increase the use of number lines in mathematics instruction. However, due to the recency of these…

Instructors manage several tensions as they engage students in defining, conjecturing, and proving, including building on students' contributions while maintaining the integrity of certain mathematical norms. This paper presents a case study of a teacher-researcher who was particularly skilled in balancing these tensions in a laboratory setting.…

This paper is written as a guide for any instructor seeking to develop the mathematical modeling process or open-ended problem solving in their courses. We describe a pedagogical approach to create mini modeling problems to develop the modeling process. These are problems that fall between traditional homework problems and open-ended modeling…

Purposeful questioning is one of the most important elements to promote successful mathematics understanding (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014; Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011). Questioning helps teachers to elicit, interpret, and respond to student thinking (Stein et al., 2008) and supports students' understanding,…

Mathematical modelling (MM) plays a pivotal role in the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) into school studies. This current empirical study suggests using a four-step solution plan as a scaffolding tool during the instruction of MM tasks in a STEM context in formal school mathematics. The study goals are…

The concept of scaffolding in the learning process refers to teacher assistance to all students in the class when they are unable to solve math problems correctly, which is identified by errors in solving the issues. The assistance in question is temporary. The diversity of students' academic abilities in the class influences the teacher's…

After years of noticing the challenge our students have with fraction operations, we decided to implement a scaffold approach that focuses on using benchmarks to better develop both students' understanding of a fraction as a quantity and their ability to think about fraction operations meaningfully. While we found this approach supported students…

Mathematics teachers are increasingly being called to integrate mathematical modeling into their course sequences and curriculum (NCTM 2018; NGA Center and CCSSO 2010). Mathematical modeling is a dynamic cycle calling teachers to engage in complex instructional work that advances students' mathematical knowledge and reasoning. The modeling cycle…

The latest content and practice standards for mathematics have promoted the use of academic language and discourse in this content area. As such, the WIDA Consortium has evolved its guidelines to deepen teachers' conceptual understanding of language in their content areas, and thus, enable them to provide more effective instruction to multilingual…

Kindergartners' math skills predict later academic outcomes. However, we know little about kindergarten mathematics instruction. Using data from 182 classroom observations in a large urban district, we explore time spent on mathematics and math content coverage. We also examine two underinvestigated aspects of kindergarten math instruction: (1)…

Background: Supporting students during collaborative learning in mathematics is challenging for teachers. We developed the Small-Group Scaffolding Tool (SGS-Tool) to assist teachers regarding how and when to offer support. The tool is based on three characteristics of scaffolding small groups at the group level: contingency to the…

Current literature indicates the significance of embodied scaffoldings in enhancing the effectiveness of interactive learning technologies for STEM conceptual learning and relevant cognitive skill development. However, there is limited research on pedagogical approaches for integrating mixed embodied scaffoldings in learning with interactive…

In this article, the authors focus on using board work to scaffold what they call "joint sense making," because effective mathematics instruction is, at its heart, characterized by teachers and students engaging collaboratively in making sense of mathematical ideas (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2009, 2014). This sense…

Throughout the learning process, English learners should meaningfully engage with both their peers and the mathematics. How do mathematics teachers provide the "just-right" supports for English learners to insure this happens? What scaffolds are best? How do teachers make adjustments to these scaffolds based on the needs of the…

Differential equations are widely used tools for modelling the world around us, making a course in differential equations a natural place for students to connect concrete mathematical applications to abstract concepts. Since students grasp the concepts better by applying them, introducing differential equations through modelling becomes essential.…