Students Estimating Large Quantities: From Simple Strategies to the Population Density Model

Lluís Albarracín; Núria Gorgorió

doi:10.29333/ejmste/92285

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Lluís Albarracín ¹ ^* , Núria Gorgorió ²

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¹ Serra Húnter Fellow, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, SPAIN² Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, SPAIN^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

We study how a group of 16-year-old students solve a sequence of problems that require estimating large quantities. The problem sequence was designed to foster students creating mathematical models. We characterise the models constructed by the students while working both individually and in small teams and analyse how they evolve throughout the sequence because of having to deal with the restrictions imposed by the real-life context of the different problems. We observe that: a) the students progressively abandon the poorest strategies of the initial individual schemes to embrace strategies adaptable to a greater number of scenarios; b) students change the conceptual strategies that support their models, not as a result of a conceptual discussion, but as a consequence of a procedural obstacle or limitation; c) they adjust their models by introducing nuances, because of a better mathematization of the given situation. As a group, they finally reach a model – a generalization of the idea of population density – that is not only useful for solving a particular problem, but can apply to other situations.

Keywords

models
modelling-eliciting activities
estimation
population density
compulsory secondary education

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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, 2018, Volume 14, Issue 10, Article No: em1579

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92285

Publication date: 14 Jun 2018

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How to cite this article

APA

Albarracín, L., & Gorgorió, N. (2018). Students Estimating Large Quantities: From Simple Strategies to the Population Density Model. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(10), em1579. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92285

Vancouver

Albarracín L, Gorgorió N. Students Estimating Large Quantities: From Simple Strategies to the Population Density Model. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(10):em1579. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92285

AMA

Albarracín L, Gorgorió N. Students Estimating Large Quantities: From Simple Strategies to the Population Density Model. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2018;14(10), em1579. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92285

Chicago

Albarracín, Lluís, and Núria Gorgorió. "Students Estimating Large Quantities: From Simple Strategies to the Population Density Model". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2018 14 no. 10 (2018): em1579. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92285

Harvard

Albarracín, L., and Gorgorió, N. (2018). Students Estimating Large Quantities: From Simple Strategies to the Population Density Model. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(10), em1579. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92285

MLA

Albarracín, Lluís et al. "Students Estimating Large Quantities: From Simple Strategies to the Population Density Model". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 14, no. 10, 2018, em1579. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92285