Education – Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

Mathematics: She’ll be write!

1. Introduction – Mathematics: She’ll be write! How students learn to speak, read, and write science and mathematics, and what is taking place in the classroom, laboratory, or informal learning context are critical areas for research. (Lerman, 2007, p. 756) The focus of this Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project was to discover effective ways to develop students’ mathematical writing in te reo Māori. It was assumed that this would lead to better understanding of mathematics. The investigation was undertaken at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o te Koutu which caters for students from Years 0–13, many of whom are second language users of te reo Māori. It involved all the

Early algebraic thinking: links to numeracy

1. Introduction Many students struggle with introductory algebra and teachers have little to guide them in assisting students to learn this important component of high school mathematics. Little is known about the effect of students’ numeracy on the learning of early algebra, or about the strategies that students use to solve equations. There is widespread agreement that algebra is not easily understood by many students. The Cockcroft Report in the United Kingdom highlighted the fact that algebra is a source of considerable confusion and negative attitudes among pupils (Cockcroft, 1982), while the title of Brekke’s (2001) paper, “School Algebra: Primarily Manipulations of Empty Symbols on a Piece of Paper?”, sums up