Interacting with Indeterminate Quantities through Arithmetic Word Problems: Tasks to Promote Algebraic Thinking at Elementary School

dc.contributor.authorAyala Altamirano, Cristina
dc.contributor.authorPinto Marín, Eder
dc.contributor.authorMolina, Marta
dc.contributor.authorCañadas, María
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-09T15:34:00Z
dc.date.available2023-01-09T15:34:00Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractIn this study, we analyze how 9–10-year-old pupils work with equations, a central aspect of algebraic thinking in early grades and a cornerstone for more formal learning of algebra. Specifically, we seek: (a) to describe the main characteristics of the tasks that support algebraic thinking through a translation process from arithmetic word problems to algebraic language and vice versa, and (b) to identify how pupils refer to indeterminate quantities in these contexts and what meaning they give to them. The analysis focuses on the semantic congruence of the expressions proposed by them and on the dialogue they held during the translation process. We analyzed the oral discussion in the pools and the written responses to the problem that pupils posed. The results show that arithmetic word problems allow the indeterminate to become an object of thought for pupils, who represent it in multiple ways and refer to it when proposing equations that represent the structure of each problem. Another finding highlights that reflection on the interpretation of the equations supports the identification of two meanings associated with indeterminate quantities, namely, unknown and variable.
dc.description.versionVersión publicada
dc.identifier.citationAyala-Altamirano, C.; Pinto, E.; Molina, M.; Cañadas, M.C. Interacting with Indeterminate Quantities through Arithmetic Word Problems: Tasks to Promote Algebraic Thinking at Elementary School. Mathematics 2022, 10, 2229. https://doi.org/10.3390/math10132229
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/math10132229
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.udd.cl/handle/11447/6899
dc.language.isoen
dc.relation.projectProyecto de Investigación Interno UDD. La construcción del pensamiento algebraico en la Formación Inicial Docente: un estudio exploratorio, código de proyecto 23.400.173, financiado por la Universidad del Desarrollo
dc.subjectArithmetic word problems
dc.subjectEarly algebra
dc.subjectIndeterminate quantities
dc.subjectElementary education
dc.subjectProblem posing
dc.subjectTranslation
dc.titleInteracting with Indeterminate Quantities through Arithmetic Word Problems: Tasks to Promote Algebraic Thinking at Elementary School
dc.typeArticle
dcterms.sourceMathematics

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