Algebraic competence is a major determinant of college access and career prospects, and equal sign knowledge is taken to be foundational to algebra knowledge. However, few studies have documented a causal effect of early equal sign knowledge on later algebra skill. This study assessed whether second-grade students' equal sign knowledge…

Research indicates that a large percentage of students have misconceptions of the equal sign and that this can be detrimental to their mathematical pursuits as they progress through algebra. In order for students to develop a strong understanding of the meaning of the equal sign, algebra teachers must be aware of the viewpoints their students will…

Number sense is the foundation of arithmetic and algebra, yet relatively little research has deeply investigated what children do as they develop number sense. This case study provides insights into that development as it occurred during interactions with a multi-touch mathematics digital game, including conceptually congruent gestures. Findings…

This study aims to understand the instructional interactions that foster students' generalizing. By analysing video-recorded lessons from 13 different Grade 3 classrooms in which an early algebra intervention was implemented, activities related to generalizing and students' generalizing activities were identified, and the nature of the…

The mathematics curricula of countries such as the United States, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have started to incorporate the teaching of algebra in early childhood education. From this perspective, our study has two objectives: (a) to design a learning trajectory and teaching itinerary introducing patterns for children between the ages…

The issue that this study addressed is the evaluation of the impact of Imagine Math© upon the closure of learning gaps of English Learners and students of diverse racial backgrounds in mathematics and Algebra. Specifically, the intent of the research was to determine the impact of the adaptive learning program, Imagine Math©, upon student…

This article describes part of the findings of a teaching experiment whose objective is to investigate the algebraic abilities of elementary students when they solve situations that involve a functional relationship. In particular, we focus on describing the use and meanings attributed to letters by third-year primary school students when faced…

Teachers' negative experiences can be detrimental to how they teach math because their beliefs about mathematics affect how they see themselves, their instructional practices, and the level of appropriate mathematics activities offered in their classrooms. Research has shown that there are many classrooms where appropriate activities are happening…

This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) Is it feasible to develop Academic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and collect data on them across member urban school districts? (2) Are comparisons between districts on academic performance measures valid and reliable? (3) Do districts collect and maintain requested KPI data in a way…

First-grade mathematics curriculum has been typically constructed to emphasize the development of whole number and operations. Topics addressed to a lesser extent include algebraic thinking, measurement, and geometry. In this research study, we suggest an alternative to this balance of topics. We compared prior research and learning expectations…

Moving from arithmetic to algebraic thinking at early grades is foundational in the study of number patterns and number relationships. This qualitative study investigates mental computational activity in a third grade classroom's and its relationship to algebraic thinking and reasoning. The data sources include classroom observations, field notes,…

Students in the elementary grades often experience difficulty setting up and solving word problems. Using an equation to represent the structure of the problem serves as an effective tool for solving word problems, but students may require specific pre-algebraic reasoning instruction about the equal sign as a relational symbol to set up and solve…

Using a cluster-randomized controlled trial research design, this study investigates the effect of the first year of a three-year teacher professional development program on grades 1 and 2 student achievement in mathematics. Although the findings reported in the present report do not meet the standard cutoff for statistical significance (e.g., 95%…

In the first chaotic days of the crisis, schools across the United States organized to assemble and distribute instructional materials and to make a rapid transformation from school-based to home-based learning. the impact of this crisis on all students is significant. As districts resume instruction in the upcoming school year, they will not only…

For over 30 years, the Department has published the Annual Condition of Education (COE) report in order to provide education stakeholders quality information about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2020 COE covers a wide variety of content from information about Iowa's students, schools, educators, administrators, performance and school…