Since one of the main goals of teaching geometry is to provide students with the opportunity to develop spatial reasoning, it is important to find the most suitable support for learning 3D geometry in elementary school. This paper compares Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and physical manipulatives support, with the aim to answer if…

This paper presents a study aimed at investigating the didactic potentiality of the combined use of two different kinds of artefacts for the purpose of constructing and conceptualizing mathematical meanings related to the notion of axial symmetry. In our view, the process of meanings construction can be fostered by the use of adequate artefacts,…

Manipulatives are a commonly used intervention that provide visual instruction known to promote mathematical learning; however, the impact on students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is less understood. Improving mathematical procedural understanding is important for students with ASD given these skills can help increase access to more…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between instructional modality used for teaching fractions and third- and fourth-grade students' responses and strategies to open-response fraction items. The participants were 155 third-grade and 200 fourth-grade students from 17 public school classrooms. Students within each class were…

Spatial thinking skills positively relate to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) outcomes, but spatial training is largely absent in elementary school. Elementary school is a time when children develop foundational cognitive skills that will support STEM learning throughout their education. Spatial thinking should be considered a…

Mathematics education practitioners and researchers have long debated best pedagogical practices for introducing new concepts. Our design-based research project evaluated a heuristic framework, whereby students first develop acontextual sensorimotor schemes and only then extend these schemes to incorporate both concrete narratives (grounding) and…

Computer technology, when coupled with reform-based teaching practices, has been shown to be an effective way to support student learning of mathematics. The quality of the technology itself, as well as how it is used, impacts how much students learn. Interactive simulations are dynamic virtual environments similar to virtual manipulatives that…

The purpose of this study was to determine variables that predict performance when virtual manipulatives are used for mathematics instruction. This study used a quasi-experimental design. This design was used to determine variables that predict student performance on tests of fraction knowledge for third- and fourth-grade students in two treatment…

This study examined teachers' uses of virtual manipulatives across grades K-8 after participating in a professional development institute in which manipulatives and technology were the major resources used throughout all of the activities. Researchers analyzed 95 lesson summaries in which classroom teachers described their uses of virtual…