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ALGEBRAIC MANIPULATION: ACTIONS, RULES AND RATIONALES

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ALGEBRAIC MANIPULATION: ACTIONS, RULES AND RATIONALES

Author: Alan Bell, Mollie MacGreggor, Kaye Stecey

Publication Year: 1993

Abstract

Twenty year-lO students in a boys' private school in Mel/Journe were interviewed individually while they
worked on algebraic taskS. The tasks included solving very simple linear equations and simplifying
expressions. The taped interviews provide examples of informal, and often' misleading, ways in which many'
students describe algebraic manipulation procedures. Informal terminology (e.g., "You move the 2 over there.
and put it on top") was used successfully by some students, but for many others it was associated with
making mistakes. Students often appeared to be guided by memory of actions they might carry out rather than by general principles. They showed difficulties understanding the ways in which numbers call be used
for checking algebraic work and the purposes of basic algebraic tasks such as simplifying and solving.

Type: research paper

ALAN BELL, MOLLIE MACGREGGOR, KAYE STACEY
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