Abstract/Description:
Students who are learning to work with equations in algebra need to understand the structural conventions for equations, i.e., the norms for writing, organizing, and interpreting equations in a problem solution. Little research has been done to identify the structural conventions for equations that are prominent in middle school mathematics. In this study, we examined two middle school curricula to identify the structural conventions used in the materials. We found two main structure—lists of equations and strings of equations—and identifiied conventions for reading and writing these structures.
Presenters:
Chelsea Dixon and Daniel K. Siebert, Brigham Young University