Here we investigate how college students may conceptualize symbolic algebraic properties. This work uses the theory of Grundvorstellungen (GVs) to analyze how learners' conceptions may or may not align with some desired goals of instruction. Through the analysis of interviews with students across a variety of courses, we describe several…

Concept-based physical education emphasizes knowledge necessary for a physically active life. Within this context, the way students conceptualize "learning" in physical education can have a profound influence on the learning process and learning outcomes. This study attempted to identify 9th-grade students' conceptions of learning in a…

A word association test was used to determine knowledge structures on biochemistry concepts of secondary school chemistry students, aged between 18-19 years. The basic biochemistry concepts related to the topic of Carbohydrates that take place in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme curriculum were determined as stimulus words:…

This paper describes the conceptions about complex numbers that a group of university students has, these were built from the application of an activity sequence centered on these numbers. This sequence is based on the APOS theory, some aspects of semiotic representation theory, and the use of digital technology. Particularly, both the general…

Prompting people to estimate climate change numbers before showing them the true value can shift learners' attitudes and conceptions. Yet, interventions created for such a learning experience are not easily accessible to the general public. The purpose of this preregistered study was to address this research gap by developing and testing an openly…

One pedagogical technique that promotes conceptual understanding in mathematics learners is self-explanation integrated with worked examples (e.g., Rittle-Johnson et al., 2017). In this work, we implemented self-explanations with worked examples (correct and erroneous) in a software-based Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) for learning algebra. We…

This study explores the integration of STEM principles into chemistry education through the redesign of the topic Chemical Reactions for initial teacher training. The aim was to develop and evaluate an innovative teaching module that fosters key competences--knowledge, skills, and attitudes--via student-centred, context-based, and…

Students' ability to explain phenomena were compared when they were provided a model versus asked to draw their own model. As part of a pilot test, 1,405 students in the fourth through twelfth grades from across the United States responded to one of three different modeling tasks. Each task presented students with a phenomenon related to energy…

The aim of this research was to explore 11 to 12-year-old children's understanding of the mass of objects made from different materials, and the measurement of this attribute. In depth task-based interviews were conducted with six children attending six different schools; five were in Year 6 and one in Year 7. The children were found to hold…

Statistical terms are used in everyday language and, at times, used in non-statistical ways. It is often assumed students understand statistical terms because of their common use; however, research into their understanding of specific statistical terms is scant. This report focuses on 58 Year 3 students' responses to the basic question, "What…

In this paper, we address the variety of ways in which students conceive of binary operations and the metaphors they might leverage when working with binary operations in group theory. We use open-ended surveys paired with interviews to qualitatively explore student's conceptions of binary operation. Through this analysis, we identified three…

In our study, we looked for an answer to the research question "How prospective teachers comprehend the concept of a plane angle and what kind of variation there is between the conceptions? The study shows that the prospective teachers interpret the concept "plane angle" which in principle is familiar to everybody in many different…

Researchers are trying to develop assessments for inquiry practices to elicit students' deep science learning, but few studies have examined the relationship between students' "doing," i.e. "performance assessment," and "writing," i.e. "open responses," during inquiry. Inquiry practices include generating…

This paper describes seven in-service teachers' interpretations of student statements about slope. The teachers interpreted sample student work, conjectured about student contributions, assessed the students' understanding, and positioned the students' statements in the mathematics curriculum. The teachers' responses provide insight into their…

This study uses APOS Theory to study students' construction of the sine and cosine functions and their inverses. The conjecture of the constructions students would need to do in order to attain a process conception of these functions is tested by using semi-structured interviews with a group of 11 undergraduate students. Analysis of the interviews…