Nurturing mathematical literacy at lower primary level: impacts on student understanding of formal mathematical concepts

Wang, Y.; Truscott, W.; Dawson, J.

Abstract

This study investigates to what extent mathematical literacy in lower primary students (aged 6 to 8) in England was developed by a sequence of three lessons. The lessons focused on understanding of two mathematical concepts, tessellation and self-similarity, and their links with lattices and crystals. 117 students completed a pencil-and-paper based open-ended questionnaire six months after the lessons were implemented. The results show that students could articulate the meanings of these concepts. Follow-up interviews with 15 of the students illustrate that visual representations have an important role to play in making students aware of these mathematical concepts, and in developing their capabilities to reason and communicate through use of these concepts.

Citation

Wang, Y., Truscott, W., & Dawson, J. (2021). Nurturing mathematical literacy at lower primary level: impacts on student understanding of formal mathematical concepts

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 17, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jun 10, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Apr 19, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 19, 2021
• Journal: Research Journal: International Education Theory and Practice
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Pages: 58-68
• Publisher URL: https://www.ecolint-institute.ch/sites/default/files/resources/research_journal_spring_2021_0.pdf