Mathematical Abstraction in Teaching: How Teachers Deal With It in Their Teaching Practices

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  In Poster Session: Teachers in Action: Lessons Learned From Compelling STEM Educational Practices

Abstract

Mathematics is an abstract subject. When teachers plan, one of their most important challenges is to figure out ways of translating abstract concepts into understandable ideas. This paper explores the notion of mathematical abstraction from teaching view point and proposes a theoretical framework of Reducing Abstraction in Teaching (RAT). By analysing mathematics classroom practices from the public release video lessons of TIMMS 1999, this paper illustrates various tendencies of teachers dealing with mathematical abstraction. It also exemplifies some instances where ‘reducing abstraction’ seems to be an effective teaching strategy while in other cases it may go unsupportive for the development of student’s mathematical understanding.

Author

• Krishna Subedi, Simon Fraser University