Various features have been found hidden in the Pascal triangle. In this paper, some very well-known properties of the Pascal triangle will be presented, as well as the properties related to different extensions of the triangle, namely the Pascal pyramid. Given that in the textbooks of the tenth grade, respectively in the school, where we realised…

The present study seeks to explore the mathematical connections that 13-14-year-old secondary school students establish when solving area tasks. Emphasis is placed on different mathematical objects, and the connections between them, that allow students to successfully solve the tasks. The study follows a mixed methodology using qualitative and…

A group of eighth-graders was presented with a two-day lab exploring graph theory as an enrichment experience. With the school's winter break looming, students were weary of solving linear equations, and this topic was intended to inject some new life into the classroom. In addition to learning about a completely new topic, they would be exposed…

This study investigates the problem-solving strategies employed by ninth-grade students when addressing symbolic and real-world contextual problems involving trigonometric ratios. Conducted with 46 ninth-grade students from a Turkish public high school, this research employed a worksheet consisting of six problems aligned with the Turkish…

This article proposes an in-depth mathematics analysis of simple and compound interest through an exploration of the mathematical structures underlying these concepts. Financial numeracy concepts (simple and compound interest, interest rates, interest period, present and future value, etc.) have been added to the mathematics curriculum of the…

This work is part of an investigation conducted in Italy, which aims to explore the effects of instruction on secondary school students' combinatorial reasoning. We gave a questionnaire adapted from Navarro-Pelayo's research to two groups of students with and without instruction on combinatorics in order to analyse the students' performances and…

Multiple representations are widely recognized for their significant role in concept learning. This study aimed to investigate the multiple representation translation skills of high school students at different grade levels about the concept of one-dimensional motion. 239 9th, 10th, and 11th-grade students participated in the study using a…

This article explains how explorations into the quadratic formula can offer students opportunities to learn about the structure of algebraic expressions. In this article, the author leverages the graphical interpretation of the quadratic formula and describes an activity in which students derive the quadratic formula by quantifying the symmetry of…

The calculation of the total surface area of prisms forms part of the Mathematics curriculum in South Africa. This paper explores Grade 8 students' errors when learning about the surface area of prisms. The study was guided by the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative approach in a form of a case study design. Data from diagnostic test's…

Recently a teacher friend enquired about the S-I-R equations for disease spread, and what follows was stimulated by that exchange. COVID-19 provides an opportunity to put mathematical flesh on verbal bones such as "self-isolation", "lockdown", "herd immunity", "flattening the curve", "closed…

Permutations and combinations are generally taught by requiring students to memorize formulas and solve problems using the appropriate formula. Students who learn these topics may succeed in gaining high scores on end-of-chapter exams in textbooks, while lacking the conceptual understanding required to deal with problems in the real world.…

In issue 31(2) of the "Australian Senior Mathematics Journal", Kok (2017) describes a useful four-step process for investigating number patterns and identifying the underlying function. The process is demonstrated for both linear and quadratic functions. With respect to the quadratic example, I provide an additional idea relevant to step…

Students in secondary school often struggle with symbol sense, that is, the general ability to deal with symbols and to recognize the structure of algebraic formulas. Fostering symbol sense is an educational challenge. In graphing formulas by hand, defined as graphing using recognition and reasoning without technology, many aspects of symbol sense…

Stoichiometry calculation competence tends to be particularly poor in the developing world, even among teachers. Various methods, including the unit factor method, have the potential to be effective in developing such competence. To evaluate the likelihood of such a generic proportion method, which downplays traditional formula usage, succeeding…

This study explored students' mathematics-related beliefs and the relationship between the beliefs and their strategies for solving non-routine mathematical problems. The study was guided by Daskalogianni and Simpson's 2001 belief systems categories and strategies for non-routine mathematical problems. The participants were 625 grade 11 students…