Analysing Students’ Thinking: Strategies Employed In Early Equation Solving

George Toth and Loretta WeedonResearchers have emphasized the importance of developing relational thinking in regard to early equation solving. An assessment instrument was designed to assist and facilitate the process of improving the development of students? strategies. The purpose of the instrument was to assist teachers to analyse and classify students’ reasoning by examining students’ responses to a variety of tasks involving number sentences. The assessment instrument focuses on concepts of equality, identifying strategies employed, as well as the ability of students to generalise number behaviour. This assessment instrument was trialled with 51 Year 5/6 and 26 Year 8 students. The paper focuses on a limited number of test items within the assessment instrument. In particular, it analyses the different types of strategies utilised and the proportions of students who employed those strategies. We seek advice and direction from participants regarding further possible development of the assessment instrument as well as the identification of tests items that would provide useful information to improve the practice of teachers.

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Analysing Students’ Thinking: Strategies Employed In Early Equation Solving

Analysing Students’ Thinking: Strategies Employed In Early Equation Solving

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