The fact that the mathematics course is abstract, that it is not possible to associate it with daily life, and that it is impossible to concretize abstract expressions causes a prejudice against the this course and leads to a decrease in the academic achievements of students. It is seen that throughout history, various studies have been carried…

Mathematical problems can be divided into two types, namely, process-open and process-constrained problems. Solving these two types of problems may require different cognitive mechanisms. However, there has been only one study that investigated the differences of the cognitive abilities in process-open and process-constrained problem solving, and…

We explored the mediating role of prior knowledge on the relation between intelligence and learning proportional reasoning. What students gain from formal instruction may depend on their intelligence, as well as on prior encounters with proportional concepts. We investigated whether a basic curriculum unit on the concept of density promoted…

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…

Even though a school in Southern Virginia had been utilizing a variety of manipulatives, calculators, and computers to transition students through the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) sequence; students did not meet the state proficiency requirement on the standardized math assessment. A qualitative descriptive case study design, grounded…

This paper describes an emerging approach to the design of task sequences to promote reflective abstraction. The approach aims at promoting particular mathematical understandings. Central to this approach is the identification of available student activities from which students can abstract the intended ideas. The approach differs from a…