On the surface, the number line may seem like a basic tool with obvious applications. However, using a number line is not always intuitive for students. Students may not recognize significant features such as the size of the unit, how units are represented by iterated equal lengths, or that the accumulation of iterated units is a magnitude of…

Teachers can make number talks more ambitious and increase learning opportunities for students by debugging errors, promoting multi-student thinking, and orienting to make connections. This article describes the basic number talks routine and examines some common tendencies, such as "Serial Sharing." It concludes with a vignette to…

This paper focuses on the definitions and the mis-out and mis-in examples of rational numbers that four prospective elementary teachers presented while working on rational number assignments. The participants were first asked to respond, individually, to an Individual Rational Number Assignment, consisting of items aiming at detecting their…

Development of the cardinality principle, an understanding that the last number-word recited in counting a collection of items specifies the number of items in that collection, is a critical milestone in developing a concept of number. Researchers in early number development have endeavored to theorize its development. Here we critique two widely…

This article describes students learning to build their own numbering system by recognizing and identifying patterns with interlocking cubes in different place values. The students used the Egyptian hieroglyphic numeral system in conjunction with this activity to connect learning in other subjects. Students used prior knowledge of place value to…

Learning the meaning of number words is a lengthy and error-prone process. In this review, we highlight outstanding issues related to current accounts of children's acquisition of symbolic number knowledge. We maintain that, despite the ability to identify and label small numerical quantities, children do not understand initially that number words…

Logarithms, pivotal in advanced mathematics and real-world applications, often present challenges to students who resort to rote memorization without grasping their essence. While the emotional dimensions of learning mathematics are increasingly recognized, research in this area remains limited. This dissertation addresses this gap by examining a…

This paper reports on an experiment involving 108 sixth-grade French students in which the history of Chinese numeration was used in mathematics education. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relevance of using ancient number systems in mathematics education, which is common in French textbooks. In the experiment a pre-test with usual…

Learning the concept of fractions is among the most challenging topics in school mathematics. One of the main sources of difficulties in learning fractions is related to "natural number bias" (Van Hoof, Verschaffel & Van Dooren, 2015). Applying properties of the natural numbers incorrectly in situations involving rational numbers can…

The issue of mathematical knowledge in teaching has been widely discussed over the years. In this study, we carried out a systematic review of the literature with the aim of understanding, quantitatively and qualitatively, the studies developed related to the mathematical knowledge necessary for the teaching of Mathematics, with a focus on Numbers…

To explain children's difficulties learning fraction arithmetic, Braithwaite et al. (2017) proposed FARRA, a theory of fraction arithmetic implemented as a computational model. The present study tested predictions of the theory in a new domain, decimal arithmetic, and investigated children's use of conceptual knowledge in that domain. Sixth and…

When first learning how to write mathematical proofs, it is often easier for students to work with statements using the universal quantifier. Results that single out special cases might initially come across as more puzzling or even mysterious. In this article we explore three specific statements from abstract algebra that involve the number…

Children are having fewer embodied social interactions outside (Haidt, 2024). Thus, there is a need to create embodied activities that turn students' attention to each other and nature (Barwell et al., 2022) and that build from their interests (Frankenstein & Powell, 2023). Using a socio-ecological framework that centers on relationships among…

The natural exponential and logarithm are typically introduced to undergraduate engineering students in a calculus course using the notion of limits. We here present an approach to introduce the natural exponential/logarithm through a novel interpretation of derivatives. This approach does not rely on limits, allowing an early and intuitive…

Informal Australian discussion suggests that calculators are still widely regarded as devices for calculation, consistent with their naming, and are rarely recognised as potentially helpful to support students learning mathematics. In this paper, Barry Kissane explores some of the ways in which modern calculators might support students learning…