A Student’s Developing Meanings for Spatial Reference Frames and Coordinate Systems

• In Event: Algebraic Reasoning Across Grades

Abstract

Interpreting graphs of physical spaces and phenomena (e.g., GPS maps, airplane radar, etc.) is crucial to students’ navigation of STEM professions and their daily lives. In this report, we present one student’s developing foundational meanings for spatial graphs, which are represented on coordinate systems (CSs) and composed of reference frames (RFs). We found that, although the student originally located objects in space with a single RF, the student later coordinated RFs to construct multiple Cartesian-like and polar-like CSs. We highlight how repeated opportunities to construct and interpret such RFs and CSs supported this development.

Authors

• Teo Paoletti, University of Delaware

• Allison L. Gantt, University of Delaware

• Hwa Young Lee, Texas State University

• Hamilton L. Hardison, Texas State University

• Brandi Rygaard Gaspard, Texas State University

• Allison Olshefke-Clark, University of Delaware

• Mai Bui, Texas State University

• Holly Zolt, Middle Tennessee State University

• Claudine Margolis, University of Michigan