Whole number computations are a critical skill that serves as a foundation upon which higher-order concepts in mathematics are taught to children. To facilitate their instruction, educators often use multiple representations to support a child's cognition. Representations with physical manipulatives are widely studied through a graduated…

Geometry is one of the basic areas of school mathematics education, and it is important for elementary students. However, students with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) struggle with geometry learning. Research has demonstrated that concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) teaching is an effective practice for students with learning…

Competence with rational numbers is essential for mathematics proficiency in secondary mathematics. However, many students struggle with rational number concepts, and students with mathematics difficulties struggle even more. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an intervention that incorporated the use of explicit instruction…

We propose to assess conceptual knowledge of mathematical notions by having recourse to isomorphic word problems. We assumed that failing to solve isomorphic problems is an indicator of lack of conceptual knowledge. To reach these conclusions, two experiments were conducted among 4th and 5th grade students. In experiment 1, each student had to…

Students' understanding of the meaning of the equal sign develops slowly over the primary grades. In addition to updating their representations of equations to recognize that the equal sign represents an equivalence relation rather than signaling an operation, students need to move beyond full computation to efficiently solve equivalence problems.…

We address the question: How can a student's conceptual transition, from attending only to singleton units (1s) given in multiplicative situations to distinguishing composite units made of such 1s, be explained? We analyze a case study of one fourth grader (Adam, a pseudonym) during the course of a video recorded cognitive interview. Adam's case…

This study examined the impact of STEM applications realized with 4th-grade elementary school students on their problem-solving skills. The study was conducted within the convergent parallel design framework, a mixed research method. The research was carried out with 42 4th-grade primary school students, 21 in the experimental group and 21 in the…

A solid foundation in mathematics is beneficial not only for individuals' concurrent and later academic achievement, but also for future career success and financial stability. Rational number knowledge plays a pivotal role in mathematical success, yet it is often regarded as a challenging area to grasp comprehensively. The dissertation aims to…

The main goal of the current study is to develop intervention of learning to promote students' understanding of percentage. The design of the interventions employed the spatial representation of percentage in the form of a bar model and was designed based on the pedagogical concepts of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME). The participants were…

Problem-posing activities have been shown to motivate students' learning while promoting a multifaceted and interesting educational environment. Moreover, these activities enable students to be engaged in personal interpretations of their own mathematical thinking. The purpose of this study was to determine if using a handson learning intervention…

Analogy is a powerful learning mechanism for children to learn novel, abstract concepts from only limited input, yet also requires cognitive supports. My dissertation sought to propose and examine number lines as a mathematical schema of the number system to facilitate both the development of rational number understanding and analogical reasoning.…

Problem-based learning (PBL) involves students solving a problem with multiple solutions over time, like scientists in real-world contexts. This fourth-grade PBL unit had students become part of an endeavor to help their state of Virginia become energy independent. It conceptualized energy independence as becoming self-sufficient for energy…

Purpose: Most literature has focused solely on either knowledge about number sense or understanding of fractions. To fill the research gap, this study examined pupils' abilities in both number sense and fractions. In particular, it investigated Year 4 and Year 5 pupils' use of strategies in developing their fraction sense. Methodology: This study…

Background and Context: In today's increasingly digital world, it is critical that all students learn to think computationally from an early age. Assessments of Computational Thinking (CT) are essential for capturing information about student learning and challenges. When programming is used as a vehicle to foster CT skills, assessment of CT…

The teaching and learning fractions is one of the most problematic areas in primary school mathematics. A large number of studies have engaged paper-and-pencil test to measure students' instrumental understanding about fractions but few have sought to learn about children's fraction sense. This paper reports a study that investigated fraction…