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Here we explore how college students across different courses may conceptualize symbolic algebraic properties. This work draws on the theory of Grundvorstellungen (GVs) as a tool to analyse how learner conceptions do or do not align with some desired goals of instruction. In analysing interviews, several categories of conceptions, or descriptive GVs, emerged, which may be a helpful first step in understanding learners’ thinking and improving instruction on algebraic properties.
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An Exploration of How College Students Think About Parentheses in the Context of Algebraic Syntax.
In this paper we explore how college students across different courses appeared to interpret the meaning of parentheses or brackets in the context of algebraic syntax. This work was influenced by theories of computational vs structural thinking, and also considered the extent to which students’ definitions, computational work, and explanations appeared to be consistent with specific normative definitions of parentheses. In analyzing student work, several categories of students’ conceptions emerged, which may be helpful in diagnosing which conceptions may be more productive or problematic as students progress through algebra. For students who appear to conceptualize parentheses as a cue to non-normative procedures, several categories of procedures were found, which could have implications for instruction.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1760491
- PAR ID:
- 10481791
- Editor(s):
- Lischka; A. E., Dyer; Jones, R. S.; Strayer, J.; Drown, S.
- Publisher / Repository:
- PME-NA, www.pmena.org
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the 44th Annual Psychology of Mathematics Education-North America (PME-NA) Conference
- Volume:
- 44
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- algebra and algebraic thinking cognition
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Middle Tennessee State University, USA
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- The DOI is not currently available.
