Understanding negative numbers can be challenging for many students, as these concepts may seem less tangible than counting objects, which are commonly represented by positive numbers. In addition, the multiplication of two negative numbers resulting in a positive might appear inconsistent and puzzling to young learners who are used to seeing the…

Developing structure sense is an important part of learning algebra. We investigated learners' structure sense of algebraic expressions involving brackets. This led us to propose the constructs "surface structure" sense and "systemic structure" sense. Using a random sample of 58 Grade 10 learners scoring above 40% in a test, we…

This study sought to use indigenous ("Adinkra") artefacts to present "Concreteness Fading" in multiplication of one-digit and one-digit numbers. The researcher used simple random sampling technique to select 51 participants from 300 student teachers. Two sets of tests were used to collect the data. The results were equally…

For several decades, digital formative assessment tools and platforms have been promoted as promising for supporting adaptive teaching. For learning goals such as procedural fluency, this promise has been held across a range of subject-matter topics. For conceptual learning goals, however, the available digital formative assessment tools are much…

In this paper, we present a case study of a secondary mathematics teacher, Isaac (pseudonym), and his considerations for teaching with multiple methods for solving missing-value problems. While his students preferred methods that drew more closely on their intuitive understanding of proportionality, Isaac emphasised the algorithmic…

This paper reports on 73 Grades 3 to 6 students' written responses to equal groups, arrays, multiplicative comparison and Cartesian product word problems. It is part of a larger study relating to students' development of multiplicative thinking (MT). The potential of using multiplicative word problems as a diagnostic assessment to reveal students'…

The effects of whole number computation interventions among school students with learning disabilities in Grades K to 5 were examined using a multilevel meta-analysis. Applying a correlated and hierarchical effect model of robust variance estimation, we examined the intervention effects among 15 peer-reviewed articles and dissertations (two…

How can students achieve an understanding of multiplication that allows them to go beyond recall to explain their thinking? Author and mathematics education professor Juli Dixon introduces a program that teachers can seamlessly integrate into existing mathematics instruction. Learn six tactics to help you shift from an anxiety-producing,…

This article describes "Build It!--The Rectangle Game" task that uses the context of a game to develop mathematical generalizations based on strategy. The underlying mathematics in this game-based task is for students to discover factors and prime and composite numbers through 100. The playful use of "The Rectangle Game"…

The learning of multiplication facts has long been an important focus of the primary grades, but lasting mastery of facts requires a meaningful approach that develops all four components of mathematical proficiency (understanding, fluency, problem-solving, and reasoning). This article shares how visual imagery in the form of Quick Looks with dot…

This study used a constructivism theoretical framework to focus on a group of elementary mathematics teachers and their lived experiences after the introduction of new mathematical content standards through the lens of the Mathematical Teacher's Specialized Knowledge Model. After the introduction of new mathematics content standards, many…

In mathematics, there are four basic operations that students must master from the elementary school level, namely addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. However, some students experience difficulties or misunderstandings in interpreting multiplication as repeated addition. This research aims to improve the learning outcomes of…

When teaching the multiplicative domain in New Zealand primary schools, teachers tend to spend a greater proportion of time on the meaning and processes of multiplication, to the detriment of a specific focus on understanding the concept of division. When division is taught, it tends to be by reversing the context and turning the division…

The researchers conducted a qualitative case study to describe the teaching and learning of a third grade student with a learning disability as he worked on multiplicative tasks with a tutor. The student's strategies, at participatory and anticipatory levels of understanding, were analyzed to inform instructional decisions we made to support the…

The array is a powerful tool that builds students' understanding in multiplication. Students' interactions with the array changes through the course of an instructional sequence, which can be viewed as a process of "reification." In this paper, I report the findings of a research study conducted with 45 Year 5 students in Sydney. The…