THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS’ MATHEMATICAL SKILLS IN THE EVALUATION OF NUMERICAL EXPRESSIONS INVOLVING ORDER OF OPERATIONS

Year 2016, Volume: 4 , 409 - 413, 01.09.2016

Ernna Sukinnah Alı Rahman Masitah Shahrıll Nor ‘arifahwati Abbas Abby Tan

Abstract

This paper examines the students’
ability in using their mathematical skills when performing order of operations.
In this study, the ‘hierarchy-of-operators triangle by Ameis (2011)’ was
introduced as an alternative BODMAS approach to help students in gaining a
better understanding behind the concept of the order of operations. The study
of 21 Year 9 students in one of the government secondary schools in Brunei
Darussalam used mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. Comparisons of the
scores showed positive progress and greater improvement in the students’
performance. Interviews from the students were also analysed to gain further
insight.
Most of the interviewed students
responded that it is easier for them to remember the triangle to remember the
order of operations.

Keywords

Order of operations, numerical expressions, secondary mathematics

References

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