A Proposed Instructional Theory for Integer Addition and Subtraction

Date

2012-07-01

Author

Stephan, Michelle
Akyüz, Didem

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

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This article presents the results of a 7th-grade classroom teaching experiment that supported students' understanding of integer addition and subtraction. The experiment was conducted to test and revise a hypothetical learning trajectory so as to propose a potential instructional theory for integer addition and subtraction. The instructional sequence, which was based on a financial context, was designed using the Realistic Mathematics Education theory. Additionally, an empty, vertical number line (VNL) is posited as a potentially viable model to support students' organizing their addition and subtraction strategies. Particular emphasis is placed on the mathematical practices that were established in this setting. These practices indicate that students can successfully draw on their experiences with assets, debts, and net worths to create meaning for integer addition and subtraction.

Subject Keywords

Conceptual knowledge, Instructional intervention, Integers, Middle grades, 5-8, Modeling

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/53897

Collections

Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Article