A Longitudinal Study of Elementary Students' Use of Variable Notation to Represent Mathematical Generalizations

• In Event: Classroom Interventions and Student Mathematics Learning

Abstract

The study reported here uses a quasi-experimental design to compare the algebraic thinking of students after a 3-year, grades 3–5 early algebra intervention to students in more traditional (arithmetic-focused) classrooms. Data sources are students’ responses to grades 3–5 written assessment items, designed by the project team to measure learning throughout the intervention, that focus on students’ use of variables to represent generalizations across four situations: (1) algebraic expressions; (2) equations; (3) functional relationships; and (4) arithmetic generalizations. Results shows that intervention students performed significantly better than comparison students in both grades 3 and 4 post-tests. More interesting, however, is that intervention students were significantly more successful writing a function rule with variables than with words.

Authors

• Maria Blanton, TERC

• Angela Gardiner, Tahoe Environmental Research Center

• Isil Isler, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Ana C. Stephens, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Eric J. Knuth, University of Wisconsin - Madison