The Definitions of Spatial Quantities in Elementary Curriculum Materials

Nicholas J. Gilbertson; Jia He; V. Rani Satyam; John P. Smith; Eryn M. Stehr

The Definitions of Spatial Quantities in Elementary Curriculum Materials

Nicholas J. Gilbertson, Jia He, V. Rani Satyam, John P. Smith, Eryn M. Stehr

Mathematical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to book or proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Research indicates that U.S. students have misunderstandings in measurement, and one reason is the highly procedural focus of elementary curricula. Because the definitions of quantities are basic conceptual content, we examined definitional-type expressions (related to formal mathematical definitions) for spatial quantities (length, area and volume) within and across elementary curricula with special attention to the inclusion of units, quantification, and exhausting space. We found inconsistencies in the ways these conceptual aspects were presented. In some cases, the inclusion of particular conceptual content depended on the type of quantity, (e.g. "exhausting space" was strongly emphasized in area measure, but less so in length and volume).

Original language	American English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education
State	Published - Nov 2016

Disciplines

Mathematics

Keywords

Curriculum materials
Definitions
Elementary
Spatial quantities

Cite this

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abstract = " Research indicates that U.S. students have misunderstandings in measurement, and one reason is the highly procedural focus of elementary curricula. Because the definitions of quantities are basic conceptual content, we examined definitional-type expressions (related to formal mathematical definitions) for spatial quantities (length, area and volume) within and across elementary curricula with special attention to the inclusion of units, quantification, and exhausting space. We found inconsistencies in the ways these conceptual aspects were presented. In some cases, the inclusion of particular conceptual content depended on the type of quantity, (e.g. {"}exhausting space{"} was strongly emphasized in area measure, but less so in length and volume).",

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AU - Gilbertson, Nicholas J.

AU - He, Jia

AU - Satyam, V. Rani

AU - Smith, John P.

AU - Stehr, Eryn M.

N1 - Research indicates that U.S. students have misunderstandings in measurement, and one reason is the highly procedural focus of elementary curricula. Because the definitions of quantities are basic conceptual content, we examined definitional-type expressions (related to formal mathematical definitions) for spatial quantities (length, area and volume) within and across elementary curricula with special attention to the inclusion of units, quantification, and exhausting space.

PY - 2016/11

Y1 - 2016/11

N2 - Research indicates that U.S. students have misunderstandings in measurement, and one reason is the highly procedural focus of elementary curricula. Because the definitions of quantities are basic conceptual content, we examined definitional-type expressions (related to formal mathematical definitions) for spatial quantities (length, area and volume) within and across elementary curricula with special attention to the inclusion of units, quantification, and exhausting space. We found inconsistencies in the ways these conceptual aspects were presented. In some cases, the inclusion of particular conceptual content depended on the type of quantity, (e.g. "exhausting space" was strongly emphasized in area measure, but less so in length and volume).

AB - Research indicates that U.S. students have misunderstandings in measurement, and one reason is the highly procedural focus of elementary curricula. Because the definitions of quantities are basic conceptual content, we examined definitional-type expressions (related to formal mathematical definitions) for spatial quantities (length, area and volume) within and across elementary curricula with special attention to the inclusion of units, quantification, and exhausting space. We found inconsistencies in the ways these conceptual aspects were presented. In some cases, the inclusion of particular conceptual content depended on the type of quantity, (e.g. "exhausting space" was strongly emphasized in area measure, but less so in length and volume).

KW - Curriculum materials

KW - Definitions

KW - Elementary

KW - Spatial quantities

UR - https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED583687

M3 - Chapter

BT - Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education

ER -

The Definitions of Spatial Quantities in Elementary Curriculum Materials

Abstract

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