This study addresses a significant gap in educational research by employing statistical methods to measure the sequencing of different components and content topics in textbooks. It is well-documented that the structure and sequencing features of textbooks play a crucial role in enhancing students' learning. However, existing literature has…

Making sense of algebraic expressions in context is multifaceted and extends beyond representing real-world situations using algebra. As part of Project MathTalk, the authors created videos that feature a pair of Grade 9 algebra 1 students coming to understand algebraic expressions in context. The students found three aspects of making sense of…

This large-scale study characterizes the algebraic learning of a cohort of nearly 800 French students during the last year of middle school (9th grade, 14-15 years old) and examines their evolution in relation to the composition of the classes to which the students belong. Based on the Anthropological Theory of the Didactic (ATD), the study is…

This research investigates errors and misconceptions among learners in algebraic education by utilizing Koch's error analysis method alongside the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. The primary aim of the investigation is to discern the kinds of errors and cognitive stages demonstrated by Grade 9 students when engaged in…

In this study, a paper folding activity task, which involved reaching the Pythagorean Theorem with a series of steps was designed. The aim of the task is to reach the Pythagorean Theorem with folding activities by deductive reasoning and logical inference. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the task and to share the patty paper…

In this study, we investigated how secondary students interpret algebraic expressions that contain literal symbols to stand for variables. We hypothesized that the natural number bias (i.e., the tendency to over-rely on knowledge and experiences based on natural numbers) would affect students to think that the literal symbols stand for natural…

In this study, 80 ninth-grade students enrolled in Algebra I from a high school in south Texas completed the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale for Children (ITIS) Survey and the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) Survey, before and after a set of interventions. The students were divided into one of four groups, three with applied…

South African learners' performance in mathematics, both locally and internationally, has raised significant concerns, particularly in the realm of algebra. To address this issue, a mixed-methods study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of using algebra tiles to teach algebraic expressions. The study aimed to investigate algebraic…

Background/Context: As part of a national movement to eliminate a global tracking system that disproportionately assigned underserved students to low-level math classes, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) mandated academic algebra for all students entering high school in 1997. The results were disappointing: low-skill students experienced elevated…

Mathematical learning is supported by caring teaching, which is complex, political work particularly for white teachers in racially diverse classrooms. To investigate white teachers' understandings of care and its influence on mathematics instruction, I conducted a six-month qualitative study in two racially diverse ninth-grade Algebra 1…

The goal of this qualitative single case study was to explore the effects of expressive writing as a self-regulation strategy in a suburban high school algebra classroom for reducing self-reported math anxiety. A variety of stressors related to the school environment impact adolescents, including peer dynamics, stress from the high school…

Algebra I encompasses several topics that serve as a basis for students' subsequent mathematics courses as they progress in school. Some of the key topics that students struggle with is solving linear equations and algebraic word problems. There are several factors that may contribute to this ongoing struggle for students such as the structure of…

Sixty (35 girls) ninth graders were assessed on measures of algebraic reasoning and usage of visual and symbolic representations (with a prompt for visual use) to solve equations and inequalities. The study grouped visual representations into two categories: arithmetic-visual, which entailed the use of real-world objects to represent specific…

In this paper, we describe an experiment in using history to work on problem-solving and the relationship between arithmetic and algebra. The students involved attended the first year of the Italian upper secondary school (grade 9). The original sources we used are problems from Italian treatises on arithmetic and algebra that appeared in the…

This quantitative study examined the impact of a multi-subject double-dose STEM intervention on the academic achievement of underprepared 9th-grade males. The intervention consisted of heterogeneously grouped core classes of Algebra 1 and biology accompanied by a second multi-subject (Algebra 1 and biology) support class. This nine-week study did…