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Original Articles

Middle-School Students' Understanding of the Equal Sign: The Books They Read Can't Help

Pages 367-385 | Published online: 07 Jun 2010

Keep up to date with the latest research on this topic with citation updates for this article.

Read on this site (20)

Jodi L. Davenport, Yvonne S. Kao, Kristen N. Johannes, Caroline Byrd Hornburg & Nicole M. McNeil. (2023) Improving Children’s Understanding of Mathematical Equivalence: An Efficacy Study. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness 16:4, pages 615-642.
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Lovisa Sumpter & Anna Löwenhielm. (2022) Differences in grade 7 students’ understanding of the equal sign. Mathematical Thinking and Learning 0:0, pages 1-16.
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Maria Blanton, Yenny Otálora, Bárbara M. Brizuela, Angela Murphy Gardiner, Katharine B. Sawrey, Aliska Gibbins & Yangsook Kim. (2018) Exploring Kindergarten Students’ Early Understandings of the Equal Sign. Mathematical Thinking and Learning 20:3, pages 167-201.
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J. Matt Switzer. (2018) U.S. grade 4–6 students’ rational-number substitutions for odd-sum unknown addend tasks. Investigations in Mathematics Learning 10:1, pages 33-53.
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Kesha N. Hudson, Jennifer L. Coffman & Peter A. Ornstein. (2018) Addition in kindergarten: The role of mothers’ and teachers’ language. Journal of Cognition and Development 19:1, pages 65-86.
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Cornelis Vermeulen & Bronwin Meyer. (2017) The Equal Sign: Teachers’ Knowledge and Students’ Misconceptions. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 21:2, pages 136-147.
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Bing Hiong Ngu & Huy Phuong Phan. (2016) Comparing balance and inverse methods on learning conceptual and procedural knowledge in equation solving: a cognitive load perspective. Pedagogies: An International Journal 11:1, pages 63-83.
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Sarah R. Powell & Julie Nurnberger-Haag. (2015) Everybody Counts, but Usually Just to 10! A Systematic Analysis of Number Representations in Children’s Books. Early Education and Development 26:3, pages 377-398.
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Bing Hiong Ngu, Siu Fung Chung & Alexander Seeshing Yeung. (2015) Cognitive load in algebra: element interactivity in solving equations. Educational Psychology 35:3, pages 271-293.
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RebeccaP. D. Watchorn, Jeffrey Bisanz, Lisa Fast, Jo-Anne LeFevre, Sheri-Lynn Skwarchuk & BrendaL. Smith-Chant. (2014) Development of Mathematical Knowledge in Young Children: Attentional Skill and the Use of Inversion. Journal of Cognition and Development 15:1, pages 161-180.
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Ian Jones, Matthew Inglis, Camilla Gilmore & Rhys Evans. (2013) Teaching the substitutive conception of the equals sign. Research in Mathematics Education 15:1, pages 34-49.
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Timo Tossavainen, Iiris Attorps & Pertti Väisänen. (2012) Some South African mathematics Teachers' concept images of the equation concept. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 16:3, pages 376-389.
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NicoleM. McNeil, Bethany Rittle-Johnson, Shanta Hattikudur & LoriA. Petersen. (2010) Continuity in Representation Between Children and Adults: Arithmetic Knowledge Hinders Undergraduates' Algebraic Problem Solving. Journal of Cognition and Development 11:4, pages 437-457.
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Roberto Araya, Patricio Calfucura, Abelino Jiménez, Carlos Aguirre, María Angélica Palavicino, Nancy Lacourly, Jorge Soto-Andrade & Pablo Dartnell. (2010) The effect of analogies on learning to solve algebraic equations. Pedagogies: An International Journal 5:3, pages 216-232.
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Meixia Ding & Xiaobao Li. (2010) A Comparative Analysis of the Distributive Property in U.S. and Chinese Elementary Mathematics Textbooks. Cognition and Instruction 28:2, pages 146-180.
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Xiaobao Li, Meixia Ding, Mary Margaret Capraro & RobertM. Capraro. (2008) Sources of Differences in Children's Understandings of Mathematical Equality: Comparative Analysis of Teacher Guides and Student Texts in China and the United States. Cognition and Instruction 26:2, pages 195-217.
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Pamela Asquith, AnaC. Stephens, EricJ. Knuth & MarthaW. Alibali. (2007) Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge of Students' Understanding of Core Algebraic Concepts: Equal Sign and Variable. Mathematical Thinking and Learning 9:3, pages 249-272.
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MarthaW. Alibali, EricJ. Knuth, Shanta Hattikudur, NicoleM. McNeil & AnaC. Stephens. (2007) A Longitudinal Examination of Middle School Students' Understanding of the Equal Sign and Equivalent Equations. Mathematical Thinking and Learning 9:3, pages 221-247.
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Bing Hiong Ngu, Huy P. Phan, Kian Sam Hong & Hasbee Usop. (2023) Is the inverse method more effective than the balance method on learning linear equations? A cross-cultural experimental study between Australia and Malaysia. Asian Journal for Mathematics Education 2:3, pages 325-349.
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Jenny Yun‐Chen Chan, Avery H. Closser, Vy Ngo, Hannah Smith, Allison S. Liu & Erin Ottmar. (2023) Examining shifts in conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge and procedural flexibility in the context of two game‐based technologies . Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 39:4, pages 1274-1289.
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Anthony V. Robins. (2022) Dual Process Theories: Computing Cognition in Context. ACM Transactions on Computing Education 22:4, pages 1-31.
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Lauren K. Schiller, Ao Fan & Robert S. Siegler. (2022) The power of one: The importance of flexible understanding of an identity element. Journal of Numerical Cognition 8:3, pages 430-442.
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Nicole Ralston & Min Li. (2022) Student Conceptions of the Equal Sign. The Elementary School Journal 122:3, pages 411-432.
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C. Shawn Green. (2020) Interventions to Do Real-World Good: Generalization and Persistence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 21:2, pages 43-49.
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Percival G. Matthews & Lynn S. Fuchs. (2018) Keys to the Gate? Equal Sign Knowledge at Second Grade Predicts Fourth‐Grade Algebra Competence. Child Development 91:1.
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Chronoula Voutsina. (2019) Context Variation and Syntax Nuances of the Equal Sign in Elementary School Mathematics. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education 19:4, pages 415-429.
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