ERIC Number: EJ827815
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Feb
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1380-3611
EISSN: N/A
Are Representations to Be Provided or Generated in Primary Mathematics Education? Effects on Transfer
Terwel, Jan; van Oers, Bert; van Dijk, Ivanka; van den Eeden, Pieter
Educational Research and Evaluation, v15 n1 p25-44 Feb 2009
With regard to transfer, is it better to provide pupils with ready-made representations or is it more effective to scaffold pupils' thinking in the process of generating their own representations with the help of peers and under the guidance of a teacher in a process of guided co-construction? The sample comprises 10 classes and 239 Grade 5 primary school students, age 10-11 years. A pretest-posttest control group research design was used. In the experimental condition, pupils were taught to construct representations collaboratively as a tool in the learning of percentages and graphs. Children in the experimental condition outperformed control children on the posttest and transfer test. Both high- and low-achieving pupils profited from the intervention. This study shows that children who learn to design are in a better position to understand pictures, graphs, and models. They are more successful in solving new, complex mathematical problems. (Contains 4 figures and 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Control Groups, Mathematics Education, Graphs, Grade 5, Elementary School Mathematics, Mathematics Curriculum, Mathematics Instruction, Pretests Posttests, Experimental Groups, Mathematical Concepts, Learning Strategies, Teaching Methods, Problem Solving, Transfer of Training, Learning Processes, Design, Cooperative Learning, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 5
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Meets Evidence Standards without Reservations
WWC Study Page: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/study/73641
IES Cited: ED502398