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Science and Mathematics Education Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education
Fine Grain Assessment Of Students' Mathematical Understanding: Participatory And Anticipatory Stages In Learning A New Mathematical Conception, Ron Tzur
Ron Tzur
This study addressed a twofold problem--the soundness of a theoretical stage-distinction regarding the process of constructing a new (to the learner) mathematical conception and how such distinction contributes to fine grain assessment of students' mathematical understandings. As a context for the study served the difficult-to-grasp concept of "inverse" order relationship among unit fractions, that is, the larger the number of parts the smaller the size of each part (e.g., 1/7 greater than 1/10 although 10 greater than 7). I conducted this study as a whole-class teaching experiment in a third grade classroom at a public school in Israel. The qualitative …
From Theory To Practice: Explaining Successful And Unsuccessful Teaching Activities (Case Of Fractions), Ron Tzur
Ron Tzur
In a teaching experiment, I examined a theoretical model of mathematics teaching and learning in practice. In this paper I focus on how the model can guide the teacher's thinking about students' understandings and the generation of activities that foster intended transformations in those understandings. As a research-teacher I taught, twice a week for four months, basic ideas of fractions to 28 third graders, in a public school in Israel. The analysis of both classroom data and researcher's documented reflections indicates how the model can empower the generation and explanation of successful teaching activities, as well as thinking about and …