Opportunities to learn algebraic thinking afforded by the tasks in mathematics textbooks for grades 3 to 5 in Turkey

Date

2023-9-04

Author

Aktürk, Gülümden

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The objective of this research is to investigate what the tasks in the primary school (3rd- 5th grades) mathematics textbooks in Turkey are for providing opportunities to learn algebraic thinking for students to enhance proficiency in algebra. The tasks were examined under the guidance of a specific emphasis on the five big ideas of algebraic thinking and their claims in the early grades. At each of these three school grades, the tasks were categorized into two groups: those that had been solved (worked examples) and those that still required a solution (to be solved). The study's findings showed the learning opportunities provided by primary school mathematics textbooks regarding algebraic thinking. A total of 6.3% of the tasks in textbooks offers algebraic thinking. From third to fifth grade, algebraic thinking ideas were distributed: 31.0%, 34.1%, and 34.9%, respectively. Equivalence, inequalities, and equations (38.9%) and functional thinking (34.1%) were the topics where the most learning opportunities related to algebraic thinking. In textbooks, only 50% of the expected claims were identified inside the textbooks. The findings indicate that textbooks provide only half the expected algebraic learning opportunities for elementary school students. The study's findings are significant for textbook authors, curriculum developers, and educators because they emphasize the need to create tasks that encourage the development of algebraic thinking and provide beneficial learning opportunities in this field. This investigation also informs the international community about elementary mathematics textbooks in Turkey.

Subject Keywords

Algebraic Thinking, Early Algebra, Textbook Analysis, Task Analysis, Opportunity to Learn

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/105391

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Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis