Reversibility thinking carried out mentally in mathematical operations has an important role in the process of understanding concepts as it involves developing a thinking process from beginning to end and from end to beginning. This qualitative research aims to describe students' reversible thinking processes in solving algebra problems,…

Mathematics is a collection of cognitive products that have unique characteristics from other scientific disciplines. As cognitive products, mathematics, and thought processes are two things that cannot be separated. Although in the literature there have been many approaches proposed to support the analysis of students' thinking processes, not…

Researchers from multiple disciplines have found that fractions and algebra knowledge are linked. One major strand of research has identified children's "units coordination" structures as crucial for success with fractions and algebra via multiplicative reasoning, whereas a second strand of research points to "magnitude…

Researchers from multiple disciplines have found that fractions and algebra knowledge are linked. One major strand of research has identified children's "units coordination" structures as crucial for success with fractions and algebra via multiplicative reasoning, whereas a second strand of research points to "magnitude…

In this study, it is aimed to determine the algebraic thinking habits of two eighth grade school students through the answers they gave in the process of solving mathematical problems. The algebraic habits of mind (ZCA) theoretical framework developed by Driscoll (1999) was used to reveal these thinking habits. The research design of this study is…

Little is known about the cognitive effort associated with algebraic activity in the elementary and middle school grades. However, this investigation is significant for sensitizing teachers and researchers to the mental demands of algebra learning. In this paper, we focus on the relationship between algebraic thinking and domain-general cognitive…

Prior work has established that cognitive and perceptual processes influence students' attention to notational structures in mathematical expressions, which in turn affects their problem-solving approaches and performance. Advances in educational technology provide opportunities to further investigate these processes, improve student learning, and…

For students to advance beyond arithmetic, they must learn how to attend to the structure of math notation. This process can be challenging due to students' left-to-right computing tendencies. Brackets are used in mathematics to indicate precedence but can also be used as superfluous cues and perceptual grouping mechanisms in instructional…

To efficiently solve mathematical expressions and equations, students need to notice the systemic structure of mathematical expressions (e.g., inverse relation between 3 and 3 in 3 + 5 - 3). We examined how symbols--specifically variables versus numbers--and students' algebraic knowledge impacted seventh graders' problem-solving strategies and use…

As proof and proving are the key elements of mathematics, several frameworks evaluating this process have been presented. Proof image, being one of them, was introduced by Kidron and Dreyfus (2014) through analyses of two mathematicians' activities. Authors clarified it in the context of components, and emphasized its relation with formal proof.…

Generalization is a critical component of mathematical reasoning, with researchers recommending that it be central to education at all grade levels. However, research on students' generalizing reveals pervasive difficulties in creating and expressing general statements, which underscores the need to better understand the processes that can support…

The goal of this design-based research study was the creation and evaluation of a mini-unit intended to foster perceptually grounded understandings of the concept of slope in middle-school students. Central to this unit was an innovative device designed to create a productive pedagogical space between student intuition for steepness and formal…

We share here results from a quasi-experimental study that examines growth in students' algebraic thinking practices of generalizing and representing generalizations, particularly with variable notation, as a result of an early algebra instructional sequence implemented across grades 3--5. Analyses showed that, while there were no significant…

The development of math reasoning and 3-d mental rotation skills are intertwined. However, it is currently not understood how these cognitive processes develop and interact longitudinally at the within-person level -- either within or across genders. In this study, 553 students (52% girls) were assessed from fifth to seventh grades on 3-d mental…

Mental models are representations of students' minds concepts to explain a situation or an on-going process. The purpose of this study is to describe students' mental model in solving mathematical patterns of generalization problem. Subjects in this study were the VII grade students of junior high school in Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia. This…