MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' VIEWS ABOUT TEACHING GENERALIZATION OF NUMBER PATTERNS

Year 2014, Volume: 1 , 367 - 371, 01.09.2014

Burcu Nur Basturk Sibel Yesıldere-ımre

Abstract

The present study reports
on middle school mathematics teachers' views about teaching generalization of
number patterns. Teachers' approaches to teach generalizing and their point of
views on using strategies were also examined. Interviews were conducted with
sixteen middle school mathematics teachers. Data qualitatively analyzed in
terms of Radford's (2008) architecture of algebraic pattern generalization
theoretical framework. Analysis of the data indicated that teachers' uses of
representations were not effective and teachers' subject matter knowledge on
generalization of number patterns is weak. It was found that teachers' commonly
used strategy is trial-error. Findings also suggest that although teachers’
mostly use strategies and examples in teaching process, they did not use them
in order to develop students' understanding, mathematical thinking and
reasoning. 

Keywords

Generalizing number patterns, task design, task implementation

References

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