Understanding and Culivating the Transition from Arithmetic to Algebraic Reasoning

This project seeks to understand the development of middle school students' algebraic reasoning, to understand the conditions and pedagogy necessary to facilitate students' transition from concrete arithmetic reasoning to abstract algebraic reasoning, and to develop professional development materials designed to support teachers in fostering the development of students' algebraic reasoning. Our goal is to develop sufficiently detailed accounts of learning and instruction in classroom contexts to guide the design and evaluation of instructional approaches and professional development programs aimed at facilitating students' algebraic development. This project is part of a larger collaborative study that includes colleagues at the University of Colorado-Boulder and Carnegie Mellon University. Our research studies are components of a multi-disciplinary approach toward the study of algebraic learning and instruction that are the focus of the larger study.

This 5 year project is funded through a grant from the Interagency Education Research Initiative (IERI).