Algebra Misconceptions Held by Primary School Students in Singapore

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Student Cognition, Attitudes, and Learning in Math

Abstract

Singapore consistently and statistically significantly outperforms the United States on international tests of mathematics at both the fourth and eighth grade level. It is therefore important to discover what pedagogies Singapore employs that the U.S. might benefit from, in this case specifically in the area of algebraic thinking skills. To discover this knowledge, a mixed-methods qualitative and quantitative design was utilized involving 18 primary teachers and their associated students. Although teachers did not believe algebra was taught in the primary grades until Primary 6, students performed significantly higher on the algebraic thinking assessment tool than their U.S. counterparts. Discussion regarding the potential reasons for this, including use of the model method, will ensue.

Author

• Nicole Ralston, University of Portland