Pre-service Teachers Exploring the Role of Pattern-based Reasoning in the Context of Algebraic Thinking

Samuel Obara

doi:10.29333/ejmste/109262

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Samuel Obara ¹ ^*

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¹ Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This paper explores how a group of pre-service elementary school teachers training to become mathematics teachers for elementary schools arrived at generalizations based on patterns. Two representative problems were investigated with these preservice teachers. The focus of this study was how these preservice teachers analyze and symbolize algebraically their generalizations during a problem-solving process. The results indicate that the preservice teachers had difficulty making use of input-output (having two variables in the table) relationships in a generalization process associated with developing symbolic functions. This study identifies the crucial need for introducing students to pattern activities early on in their lives.

Keywords

algebraic
generalization
patterns
proof
reasoning
variable

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2019, Volume 15, Issue 11, Article No: em1763

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109262

Publication date: 09 May 2019

Article Views: 2078

Article Downloads: 1355

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How to cite this article

APA

Obara, S. (2019). Pre-service Teachers Exploring the Role of Pattern-based Reasoning in the Context of Algebraic Thinking. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 15(11), em1763. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109262

Vancouver

Obara S. Pre-service Teachers Exploring the Role of Pattern-based Reasoning in the Context of Algebraic Thinking. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2019;15(11):em1763. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109262

AMA

Obara S. Pre-service Teachers Exploring the Role of Pattern-based Reasoning in the Context of Algebraic Thinking. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2019;15(11), em1763. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109262

Chicago

Obara, Samuel. "Pre-service Teachers Exploring the Role of Pattern-based Reasoning in the Context of Algebraic Thinking". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2019 15 no. 11 (2019): em1763. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109262

Harvard

Obara, S. (2019). Pre-service Teachers Exploring the Role of Pattern-based Reasoning in the Context of Algebraic Thinking. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 15(11), em1763. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109262

MLA

Obara, Samuel "Pre-service Teachers Exploring the Role of Pattern-based Reasoning in the Context of Algebraic Thinking". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 15, no. 11, 2019, em1763. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109262