Understanding Basic Properties of Operations in U.S. and Chinese Elementary School

• In Event: 72.049 - Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: 72.049-13 - Understanding Effective Instructional Practices in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This study systematically examines elementary students’ understanding of the basic properties of operations from a cross-cultural perspective. Focusing on the third and fourth graders’ understanding of the commutative, associative, and distributive properties (CP, AP, and DP), we found that Chinese students have performed much better in all properties; yet, the cross-cultural understanding gap was mostly evident in understanding of the AP and DP. Similar patterns were found true for both contextual and non-contextual tasks. Finally, students in both countries made progresses over time. However, the progresses in China was most evident especially after formal teaching of these properties in the fourth grade. Practical implications are discussed.

Authors

• Meixia Ding, Temple University

• Xiaobao Li, Widener University

• Ryan Scott Hassler, Temple University

• Eli Barnett, Temple University