This study examined college calculus instructors' preferences in solving two calculus tasks to examine college calculus instructors' use of important cognitive roots in understanding derivatives of function. Our results showed that only one instructor consistently uses cognitive roots while other instructors either focus on algebraic methods or…

The importance of mathematical connections in teaching mathematics is broadly acknowledged in the literature. Nevertheless, more research is needed to clarify how different types of mathematical connections manifest in classroom interactions and how they can support student learning. This article uses the commognitive framework to analyse 15…

This study was designed to examine the use of mistakes to promote students' performance in undergraduate Algebra classes by developing a growth mindset. Participants were seventy-four students from three Algebra classes and received one of the three interventions along with regular instruction: (a) growth mindset feedback on mistakes…

At a research university near the east coast, a college algebra class has been restructured into two large lectures a week, an active recitation size laboratory once a week, and an extra day devoted to active group work called Supplemental Practice (SP). SP was added as an extra day of class where the SP leader has students work in groups on a…

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.…

The aim of this paper is on the one hand to discuss from an APOS (Action-Process-Object-Schema) theory perspective the mental constructions involved in the learning of linear algebra, through examples concerning the linear transformation concept and related notions. On the other hand, methodological issues related to the design of research…

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…

Moving from arithmetic to algebraic thinking at early grades is foundational in the study of number patterns and number relationships. This qualitative study investigates mental computational activity in a third grade classroom's and its relationship to algebraic thinking and reasoning. The data sources include classroom observations, field notes,…

Algebra problem solving is one of the most difficult areas in the mathematics curriculum for secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) due to the higher-order reasoning demands and strategic thinking required. The purpose of this review is to examine how effective algebra problem-solving interventions conceptualize the cognitive processes…

Researchers and instructors have only recently embraced the role of errors as vehicles for learning in the algebra classroom. Studying a mixture of correct and incorrect worked examples has been shown to be beneficial relative to correct worked examples alone. This study examines the effectiveness of having students generate, or anticipate, errors…

This paper responds to the burgeoning literature on mathematics teacher noticing, arguing that its cognitive orientation misses the cultural and ideological dimensions of what and how teachers notice. The author highlights Goodwin's concept of "professional vision" as a way of bringing analyses of culture and power into studies of…

Appreciation of problem structure is critical to successful learning. Two experiments investigated effective ways of communicating problem structure in a computer-based learning environment and tested whether verbal instruction is necessary to specify solution steps, when deep structure is already embellished by instructional examples.…

Getting students adopt the habits of mind specific to many disciplines can be seen as an anchor that will support them to solve the problems in their daily lives. Starting from this premise, a new subject, featuring the habits of mind and how to use and improve them in educational environments seems to worth thinking on. This article describes an…

Worked examples and collaborative learning have both been shown to facilitate learning. However, the testing of both strategies almost exclusively has been conducted independently of each other. The main aim of the current study was to examine interactions between these 2 strategies. Two experiments (N = 182 and N = 122) were conducted with…

Part of the research community that has followed the Early Algebra paradigm is currently delimiting the differences between arithmetic thinking and algebraic thinking. This trend could prevent new research approaches to the problem of learning algebra, hiding the importance of considering an arithmetico-algebraic thinking, a new approach which…