This article provides an overview of a modeling sequence that culminates in student reinvention of a bifurcation diagram. The sequence is the result of years of classroom-based research and curriculum development grounded in the instructional design theory of Realistic Mathematics Education. The sequence of modeling tasks and examples of student…

In this article we discuss relationships between the cyclic group Z[subscript 12] and Western tonal music that is embedded in a 12-note division of the octave. We then offer several questions inviting students to explore extensions of these relationships to other "n"-note octave divisions. The answers to most questions require only basic…

This paper uses a post-qualitative philosophical perspective to find new ways of understanding teaching and learning. The paper presents a series of examples that were used in a longitudinal study, with the aim of creating variation patterns that would make it possible for students to discern the use of the four basic arithmetic operations in…

Aim of the study: This study examines numerical methods for solving the problems in gas dynamics, which are based on an exact or approximate solution to the problem of breakdown of an arbitrary discontinuity (the Riemann problem). Results: Comparative analysis of finite difference schemes for the Euler equations integration is conducted on the…

This article presents the Snail problem, a relatively simple challenge about motion that offers engaging extensions involving the notion of infinity. It encourages students in grades 5-9 to connect mathematics learning to logic, history, and philosophy through analyzing the problem, making sense of quantitative relationships, and modeling with…

Many studies have shown the difficulties of learning and teaching the decimal number system for whole numbers. In the case of numbers bigger than one hundred, complexity is partly due to the multitude of possible relationships between units. This study was aimed to develop conditions of a resource which can help teachers to enhance their teaching…

The aim of this study was to propose and validate a structural model in fraction and decimal number addition, which is founded primarily on a synthesis of major theoretical approaches in the field of representations in Mathematics and also on previous research on the learning of fractions and decimals. The study was conducted among 1,701 primary…

A common theme of models of conceptual growth is to establish the hierarchical structures of abilities that can be interpreted along developmental lines. Integrating the literature on the development of mathematical concepts and skills in children, a comprehensive 6 level model for describing, explaining and predicting the development of key…

This study examines the effect varying models have on student understanding of fractions. The study addressed the question of what students know and understand about fractional concepts through the use of discrete and continuous models. A sample of 54 students in kindergarten and 3rd grade were given an interview pretest, participated in…

The paper describes the history of how learning trajectories (LTs) were associated with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M) and discusses the degree to which the two correspond faithfully. It reports on a website, www.turnonccmath.com, which organizes the K-8 standards into 18 LTs describing the development of big ideas over…

In mathematics education, physical manipulatives such as algebra tiles, pattern blocks, and two-colour counters are commonly used to provide concrete models of abstract concepts. With these traditional manipulatives, people can communicate with the tools only in one another's presence. This limitation poses difficulties concerning assessment and…

This study investigates the extent to which pre-service elementary teachers (PETs) use their realworld knowledge to solve problems for which the result of the arithmetic operation is problematic, if one takes into consideration the reality of the context. A paper-and-pencil test was administered to 566 PETs enrolled in mathematics content courses.…

The use of difference and differential equations in the modelling is a topic usually studied by advanced students in mathematics. However difference and differential equations appear in the school curriculum in many direct or hidden ways. Difference equations first enter in the curriculum when studying arithmetic sequences. Moreover Newtonian…

Infinity and infinitely small numbers pique the curiosity of middle school students. From a very young age, many students are intrigued, interested, and even fascinated by extremely large or extremely small numbers or quantities. This article describes an activity that takes this curiosity about infinity into the domain of adding the numbers of an…

Solving arithmetic and algebraic word problems is a key component of the Singapore elementary mathematics curriculum. One heuristic taught, the model method, involves drawing a diagram to represent key information in the problem. We describe the model method and a three-phase theoretical framework supporting its use. We conducted 2 studies to…