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SENSITISING PRIMARY STUDENT TEACHERS TO YOUNG CHILDREN’S MATHEMATICAL IDEAS

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SENSITISING PRIMARY STUDENT TEACHERS TO YOUNG CHILDREN’S MATHEMATICAL IDEAS

Author: Ken Carr

Publication Year: 1992

Abstract

Research has shown that young children possess a considerable store of mathematical ideas (particularly about number) when they start formal schooling. This paper describes an attempt that was made to use these ideas as the starting point for a course in mathematics education for first year students at university. Students were given an interview schedule and were asked to interview one or two five year olds over two sessions. Between interviews the students met back at university to discuss and reflect upon the children's responses, and to prepare for the second interview. In a questionnaire administered one week afrer the second interview, the university students were asked to comment on what surprised them about the five year olds'responses. These were, in order offrequency, that the children knewso much "maths", that they were so open and co-operative, and that their ideas and strategies were se different from those of the interviewer. The implications of these are discussed in the paper.

Type: Research Paper

KEN CARR
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Short Communications & Round Tables

The following documents are essential to read and complete when considering submitting a short communication or round table to the MERGA conference (available in the Submission section of this website).

MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the abstracts which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
MERGA Publication Agreement – to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the abstract submission

Submissions not exceeding one page are required for short communications and round tables. The submissions must be prepared using the conference template, and can include essential references. They will be reviewed by the Editorial Team and, if accepted, will be published in the conference proceedings as one-page abstracts (not as papers). Presenters are invited to prepare a paper for distribution at the conference, but these papers will not be included in the proceedings.

Short communications are suitable for reports on research in mathematics education that do not fully meet the requirements for published papers. These might include works in preliminary stages, reports of pilot projects, initial reviews of literature, ideas or suggestions for future study, and briefer discussions of particular issues. Short communications allow new researchers to obtain feedback on projects in a constructive and supportive environment, and foster the building of links between researchers with similar interests.

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MERGA Paper Template – to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website
MERGA Publication Agreement – to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the paper submission

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When empirical investigations are reported (such as in an experimental intervention, confirmatory study, or action research, etc.), the paper should also include

a statement of rationale for methodologies used in collecting and analysing data;
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a theoretical discussion;
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a literature review, a meta-study;
an account of a new initiative;
a reflective critique of practice; or
any mixture of these or other recognised scholarly forms.

When the work is a theoretical discussion, a position paper, a report of scholarly inquiry in progress, a review of literature, a theoretical study, a meta-study, an account of a new initiative, a reflective critique of practice or any mixture of these or other recognised scholarly forms, the material presented must be discussed critically, and alternative points of view relating to themes presented should be appropriately argued.
It is expected that presenting authors will have 40 minutes to present their work at the conference. At least 10 minutes must be allowed to field questions and comments from the audience.

Structure of research papers – All papers for publication in the conference proceedings should contain the following:

a statement of the problem/issue and a discussion of its significance;
a critical analysis of the research literature as it relates to the topic of the paper; and
conclusions and implications for mathematics education derived from the study.

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MERGA Paper Template (to be used to write the papers which are then submitted to the MERGA conference website)
MERGA Publication Agreement (to be submitted on the MERGA conference website at the time of the paper submission)

Presentation of groups of published papers related by theme in the form of a research symposium is encouraged. The symposium forum will be particularly suitable for presentations relating to a single large project or presentations that explore topical themes from different and/or related perspectives. Special Interest Groups [SIGs] are encouraged to consider the symposium option as a means for sharing and discussing current research.

A symposium should consist of no more than four presentations of about 15 minutes duration each. The written papers should be half the length of research papers as described for research papers. Both research report types – empirical or non-empirical – are acceptable as published symposium papers.

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