TY - JOUR
T1 - Meaning and Structure of Mathematical Connections in the Classroom
AU - Gamboa Rojas, Genaro de
AU - Badillo Jiménez, Edelmira
AU - Font, Vicenç
N1 - Funding Information:
Open Access Funding provided by Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. This work was supported in part by the [Ministerio de asuntos económicos y transformación digital-Spain] under grant PID2019-104964 GB-I00; and [AGAUR-Catalunya] under grant SGR-2014–972-GIPEAM.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/7/30
Y1 - 2023/7/30
N2 - The making of mathematical connections in the classroom plays a dual role. While many studies highlight the importance of connections for the learning of mathematics, others inform of students’ difficulties associated with the making of connections. This study aims to characterise the mathematical connections that arise in habitual classroom practice, using an inductive approach, in the context of introducing integers with pupils aged 12–13. Results show that connections emerge as networks of links resulting from interactions between the teacher and the students. We present a definition of connection, a detailed characterisation of their internal structure as networks of links and a global characterisation which takes into account the role of the connection in the context in which it takes place. The complementarity of the two characterizations allows us to coordinate, from a classroom perspective, existing specific classification proposals for connections with a broader notion of connection used by relevant curricular guidelines. Factors that may determine the complexity of connections and may be related with students’ difficulties when dealing with connections in the classroom are also discussed.
AB - The making of mathematical connections in the classroom plays a dual role. While many studies highlight the importance of connections for the learning of mathematics, others inform of students’ difficulties associated with the making of connections. This study aims to characterise the mathematical connections that arise in habitual classroom practice, using an inductive approach, in the context of introducing integers with pupils aged 12–13. Results show that connections emerge as networks of links resulting from interactions between the teacher and the students. We present a definition of connection, a detailed characterisation of their internal structure as networks of links and a global characterisation which takes into account the role of the connection in the context in which it takes place. The complementarity of the two characterizations allows us to coordinate, from a classroom perspective, existing specific classification proposals for connections with a broader notion of connection used by relevant curricular guidelines. Factors that may determine the complexity of connections and may be related with students’ difficulties when dealing with connections in the classroom are also discussed.
KW - Classroom practice
KW - Connection
KW - Construction of mathematical knowledge
KW - Secondary education
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85166217164&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/78368c29-577a-3636-a630-e6e106a4d08f/
UR - https://ddd.uab.cat/record/284778
U2 - 10.1007/s42330-023-00281-2
DO - 10.1007/s42330-023-00281-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85166217164
SN - 1492-6156
VL - 23
SP - 241
EP - 261
JO - Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
JF - Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
IS - 2
ER -