Understanding the Meaning of the Equal Sign: A Case Study of Middle School Students in the United Arab Emirates
The equal symbol has been used in diverse mathematical frameworks, such as arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, set theory, and so on. In mathematical t.
- Pub. date: July 15, 2021
- Pages: 1505-1514
- 397 Downloads
- 454 Views
- 6 Citations
The equal symbol has been used in diverse mathematical frameworks, such as arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, set theory, and so on. In mathematical terms, the equal sign has been used in fixed command of standings. The study reports on the students meaning and interpretations of the equal sign. The study involved Grade 6, 7, and 8 students in a secondary school in Alain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Much of the earlier research done on the equal sign has focused on the primary school level, but this one focuses on middle school students. The study shows that the maximum foremost understanding of the equal sign amongst Grade 6, 7, and 8 students is a do-something, unidirectional symbol. Students realize the equal sign as an instrument for marking the response moderately than as an interpersonal symbol to associate extents.
Keywords: Equal sign, unidirectional, United Arab Emirates, middle school.
References
Abdallah, R., & Wardat, Y. (2021). Teachers’ perceptions on the effectiveness of professional development programs in improving the curriculum implementation at Jordanian schools. Elementary Education Online, 20(5), 4438-4449. https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2021.01.126
Alotaibi, A., Khalil, I., & Wardat, Y. (2021). Teaching practices of the mathematics male and female teachers according to the PISA framework and its relation to their beliefs towards their students. Elementary Education Online, 20(1), 1247-1265. https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2021.01.126
Amis, J. (2010). Book Review: Amis: Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2008). The landscape of qualitative research. Organizational Research Methods, 14(1), 239–242. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428109332198
Behr, M., Erlwanger, S., & Nichols, E. (1980). How children view the equal’s sign. Mathematics teaching, 92(1), 13-15.
Bennett, V. M. (2015). Understanding the meaning of the equal sign: an investigation of elementary students and teachers [Doctoral dissertation, University of Louisville]. ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/2303
Blanton, M. L. (2011). Developing essential understanding of algebraic thinking for teaching mathematics in grades 3-5. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Cajori, F. (1928). A History of Mathematical Notation: Notations in Elementary Mathematics (Vol. 1). Open Court.
Carpenter, T. P., Levi, L., Franke, M. L., & Zeringue, J. K. (2005). Algebra in elementary school: Developing relational thinking. central sheet for didactics of mathematics, 37(1), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02655897
Demonty, I., & Vlassis, J. (1999). Teaching practices at CP [Structures and effects on student learning]. French Journal of Pedagogy 93(1), 5–15. https://doi.org/10.3406/rfp.1990.1369
Duncan, C. D. (2015). A study of mathematical equivalence: The importance of the equal sign [Master’s thesis, Southern University]. LSU Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/398
Essien, A., & Setati, M. (2006). Revisiting the equal sign: Some Grade 8 and 9 learners’ interpretations. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 10(1), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/10288457.2006.10740593
Falkner, K., Levi, L., & Carpenter, T. (1999). Early childhood corner: Children’s understanding of equality: A foundation for algebra. Teaching Children Mathematics, 6(4), 232–236. https://doi.org/10.5951/tcm.6.4.0232
Jarrah, A. M., Khasawneh, O. M., & Wardat, Y. (2020). Implementing pragmatism and John Dewey’s educational philosophy in Emirati elementary schools: case of mathematics and science teachers. International Journal of Education Economics and Development, 11(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijeed.2020.104287
Jones, I., Inglis, M., Gilmore, C., & Evans, R. (2013). Teaching the substitutive conception of the equals sign. Research in Mathematics Education, 15(1), 34–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2012.756635
Kieran, C. (1981). Concepts associated with the equality symbol. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 12(3), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00311062
Knuth, E. J., Alibali, M. W., Hattikudur, S., McNeil, N. M., & Stephens, A. C. (2008). The importance of equal sign understanding in the middle grades. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 13(9), 514–519. https://doi.org/10.5951/mtms.13.9.0514
Lubinski, C. A., & Otto, A. D. (2002). Meaningful Mathematical Representations and Early Algebraic Reasoning. Teaching Children Mathematics, 9(2), 76–80. https://doi.org/10.5951/tcm.9.2.0076
Luneta, K. (2015). Understanding students’ misconceptions: An analysis of final Grade 12 examination questions in geometry. Pythagoras, 36(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.4102/pythagoras.v36i1.261
MacGregor, M., & Price, E. (1999). An exploration of aspects of language proficiency and algebra learning. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 30(4), 449-467. https://doi.org/10.2307/749709
McNeil, N. M., Grandau, L., Knuth, E. J., Alibali, M. W., Stephens, A. C., Hattikudur, S., & Krill, D. E. (2006). Middle-school students’ understanding of the equal sign: The books they read can’t help. Cognition and Instruction, 24(3), 367–385. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532690xci2403_3
Molina, M., & Ambrose, R. (2008). From an operational to a relational conception of the equal sign. Thirds graders' developing algebraic thinking. Focus on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 30(1), 61-80.
Ningrum, R. W., Yulianti, M., Helingo, D. D. Z., & Budiarto, M. T. (2018). Students’ misconceptions on properties of rectangles. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 947, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/947/1/012018
Pirie, S. (1998). Crossing the gulf between thought and symbol: Language as (slippery) stepping-Stones. In H. Steinbring, B. Bussi, & A. Sierpienska, (Eds.) Language and communication in the mathematics classroom (pp. 7-29). National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Powell, S. R. (2014). The influence of symbols and equations on understanding mathematical equivalence. Intervention in School and Clinic, 50(5), 266–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451214560891
Sherman, J., & Bisanz, J. (2009). Equivalence in symbolic and nonsymbolic contexts: Benefits of solving problems with manipulatives. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(1), 88–100. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013156
Silverman, D. (2000). Analyzing talk and text. In N. K. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.). Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 821-834). Sage Publications.
Stacey, K., & MacGregor, M. (1997). Building foundations for algebra. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 2(4), 252–260. https://doi.org/10.5951/mtms.2.4.0252