ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSES OF LOW ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS IN SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH PARAMETER

Dalibor Gonda

Abstract


This article describes research into the causes of failures of students in solving tasks with parameters. As a research tool, a non-standardized test was used, which was fulfilled by 124 respondents at the age of 18. Following analysis of the works of the respondents revealed basic misconceptions of the term parameter. Another reason, which was revealed by research, is formal setting of the conditions to solve the tasks. On one side the shortage is linked to the way students learn Mathematics. It is largely preferred learning of the whole task procedures to understanding the particular steps. On the other hand, it is related to the lack of definition of the terms parameter and the unknown. At the same time the misconception is unveiled, consisting in considering the term "-a" for always negative. The article, along with a description of the research and analysis of the test results, offers the basic solutions of discovered reasons of why students’ fail to solve the tasks with parameters.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

DOI

Keywords


creative approach; investigative skills; parameter; the method of zero points; understanding

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bardini, C., Radford, L. & Sabena, C. (2005). Struggling with Variables, Parameters, and Indeterminate Objects or How to Go Insane in Mathematics. In Chick, H. L. & Vincent, J. L. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 29th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 2, pp. 129-136). Melbourne: PME.

Bednarz, N., Kieran, C., & Lee, L. (Eds.) (1996). Approaches to Algebra, Perspectives for Research and Teaching. Dordrecht /Boston/London: Kluwer.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1732-3_1

Boaler, J. (2016) Mathematical mindsets. Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand, San Francisko.

Dumitrascu, G (2017) Understanding the Process of Generalization in Mathematics through Activity Theory. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research. Vol 16, No 12 (2017).

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.16.12.4

Hejný, M. (2014). Vyučování Matematice Orientované na Budování Schémat: Aritmetika 1. stupně. [Teaching building schemes oriented mathematics: Arithmetics of 1st grade] Praha: Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Pedagogická fakulta.

Hoffman, B. (2010). „I think I can, but I’m afraid to try“: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and mathematics anxiety in mathematics problem-solving efficiety. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(3), 276-283. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2010.02.001.

Ma, L. (1999). Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics: Teachers´ Understanding of Fundamental Mathematics in China and the United States. LEAP, Mahwah – New Jersey. https://doi.org/10.2307/749776

MacGregor, M., & Stacey, K. (1993). Seeing a pattern and writing a rule. In I. Hirabayashi, N. Nohda, K. Shigematsu & F. Lin (Eds), Proceedings of the 17th International conference for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 1, pp. 181- 188). University of Tsukuba, Japan. https://doi.org/10.2307/749345

Odvárko, O. a kol. (1990). Metody Řešení Matematických Úloh [Methods of solving the mathematical problems]. Praha: SPN.

Olkun, S., Altun, A., Sahin, S. G., Kaya, G.(2016). Psychometric Properties of a Screening Tool for Elementary School Students’ Math Learning Disorder Risk.

International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research. Vol 15,

No 12 (2016)

Patlák, E. (2004). Všeobecná Didaktika [General didactics]. IRIS, Bratislava.

Petty, G. (1996). Moderní Vyučování [Modern teaching]. Potrál Praha.

Polák, J. (2003). Přehled Středoškolské Matematiky [Overwiev of high school mathematics]. Prometheus, Praha.

Polák, J. (2014). Didaktika Matematiky [Didactics of mathematics]. Fraus: Plzeň.

Radford, L. (1996). The roles of Geometry and Arithmetic in the development of

Elementary Algebra. In N. Bednarz et al. (Eds.), Approaches to Algebra: Perspectives for research and Teaching (p. 39-53). Dordrecht: Kluwer.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1732-3_3.

Rovňanová, L. (2012). Učebné štýly žiakov - výzva pre didaktickú prácu pedagogických a odborných zamestnancov v školskom prostredí v kontexte novo vynárajúcich sa potrieb detí [Learning styles of pupils – a challenge for didactic work of pedagogical and professional staff in the school environment]. Humanum Międzynarodowe Studia Społeczno-Humanistyczne. Nr. 9(2)/2012, 327-338.

Schoenfeld, A. & Arcavi, A. (1988). On the Meaning of Variable. Mathematics Teacher Nr. 81(6), 420-427.

Sierpinska, A. (1994). Understanding in Mathematics. The Falmer Press, London-Bristol, 1994. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203454183.

Trigueros M. & Ursini S. (1999). Does the understanding of variable evolve through schooling? In O. Zaslavsky (Ed), Proceedings of the 23rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 4, pp. 273-

. Haifa, Israel: PME.

Turek, I. (2008). Didaktika [Didactics], Iura Edition: Bratislava.

Vankúš, P. & Kubicová, E. (2010). Postoje žiakov 5. a 9. ročníka ZŠ k matematike [Pupils attitudes of the 5th and 9th year of elementary school to mathematics]. Acta

Mathematica (vol 13, pp 277 – 283). Fakulta prírodných vied UKF v Nitre, Nitra.

Znám, Š., Bukovský, L., Hejný,M., Hvorecký, J. & Riečan, B. (1986). Pohľad do dejín matematiky [View into the History of Mathematics], Alfa: Bratislava. .




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.1558

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2018 Dalibor Gonda

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2023. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.


This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).