The derivative is a central concept in calculus and has applications in many disciplines. This study explored students' understanding of derivatives with a particular focus on the graphical (geometric) representation. The participants were four Mathematics Honours students from a university in Lesotho. Data were generated from the written…

This study explored how approximating the practice of mathematicians by communally negotiating the standards for proof mediates middle grade students' abilities to collaboratively construct mathematical arguments. Forty-seven eighth-grade students engaged in an instructional sequence wherein they, along with the instructors, negotiated communal…

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,…

One does not have to teach for very long to see students applying the wrong formula in the wrong situation (e.g., Kirshner and Awtry 2004; Tan-Sisman and Aksu 2016). Students can become overreliant on the power of the formula instead of thinking about the relationships it describes. It is not surprising that students can see formulas as a way to…

This paper reports a study developed with twenty-six students from a 7th-grade class and was carried in the context of teaching experience in the school year of 2016/2017, using an applet, Equation Buster, on the learning of solving single-variable linear equations. The research objectives are to assess how this applet can help students to see the…

In this study, it was aimed both to examine middle school students' perceptions of the concept of pattern and to reveal if the metaphoric perceptions which the students created in relation to the concept of pattern changed according to the variable of grade level. The metaphors in relation to the concept were carried out via the…

The concept of equivalence can be elusive to students and can be confounded with unproductive understandings of the equals sign. Using the game-based digital algebraic notation system, From Here to There! (FH2T), students explore ideas of equivalence by dynamically transforming expressions or equations among mathematically equivalent states. In…

Mathematics as a discipline requires abstract operations under many sub-learning areas is considered hard by students to learn. In this respect, it has become indispensable to make mathematics teaching processes fun and to structure teaching procedures by using different teaching methods, techniques or materials. In this context, the purpose of…

This study explores the impact of Peer-Assisted Reflection (PAR), a structured active learning strategy that emphasizes peer feedback and reflection, on students' perceptions of mathematical thinking, and of the roles their peers and their instructors play in their learning process. This study also examines the impact of PAR on the students'…

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to examine mathematics teachers' abilities in developing formative assessments when teaching algebraic reasoning after utilizing two innovations: lesson study and open approach. Methodology: A single group quasi-experimental research design was employed in two mathematics classes in a school in…

Children see and describe patterns in the primary grades when they develop the meaning of numbers by composing and decomposing. During their early years, they use patterns to learn properties of operations (Common Core Standards Writing Team 2011). While describing the intent of the third-grade standards for multiplication, the CCSS writers…

Specifications grading is a version of mastery grading distinguished by giving students clear specifications that their work must meet, and grading most things pass/fail based on those specifications. Mastery grading systems can get quite elaborate, with hierarchies of objectives and various systems for rewriting and retesting. In this article I…

The balance model is often used for teaching linear equation solving. Little research has investigated the influence of various representations of this model on students' learning outcomes. In this quasi-experimental study, we examined the effects of two learning environments with balance models on primary school students' reasoning related to…

Elementary standards include multiplication of single-digit numbers and students advance to solve complex problems and demonstrate procedural fluency in algorithms. The ability to illustrate procedural fluency in algorithms is dependent on the development of understanding and reasoning in multiplication. Development of multiplicative reasoning…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the effect of a graphing calculator (GC) intervention on Grade 11 learners' achievement in quadratic inequality problem solving. The quantitative aspects of the study involved an experimental and control group design in which the experimental group received instruction using the GC…