Investigating Children’s Thinking About Suspended Balances

Cheeseman, Jill; McDonough, Andrea; Golemac, Dianne Maree

doi:10.1007/s40841-016-0073-9

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…A variety of balance models have been used to promote young students' understanding of concepts related to linear equations. For example, Cheeseman and colleagues [36] reported on the use of a physical balance model with five-to seven-year-old students. Students experimented with the physical balance model by making use of a range of equipment with different weights.…”

Section: Using the Balance Model For Linear Equations Solvingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Physical Experiences with the Balance Model Beneficial for Students’ Algebraic Reasoning? An Evaluation of two Learning Environments for Linear Equations

et al. 2020

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The balance model is often used for teaching linear equation solving. Little research has investigated the influence of various representations of this model on students’ learning outcomes. In this quasi-experimental study, we examined the effects of two learning environments with balance models on primary school students’ reasoning related to solving linear equations. The sample comprised 212 fifth-graders. Students’ algebraic reasoning was measured four times over the school year; students received lessons in between two of these measurements. Students in Intervention Condition 1 were taught linear equation solving in a learning environment with only pictorial representations of the balance model, while students in Intervention Condition 2 were taught in a learning environment with both physical and pictorial representations of the balance model, which allowed students to manipulate the model. Multi-group latent variable growth curve modelling revealed a significant improvement in algebraic reasoning after students’ participation in either of the two intervention conditions, but no significant differences were found between intervention conditions. The findings suggest that the representation of the balance model did not differentially affect students’ reasoning. However, analyzing students’ reasoning qualitatively revealed that students who worked with the physical balance model more often used representations of the model or advanced algebraic strategies, suggesting that different representations of the balance model might play a different role in individual learning processes.

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Section: Using the Balance Model For Linear Equations Solvingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Physical Experiences with the Balance Model Beneficial for Students’ Algebraic Reasoning? An Evaluation of two Learning Environments for Linear Equations

et al. 2020

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“…In the stories recounted here, persistence is taken to mean "how much students keep trying to work out an answer or to understand a problem even when that problem is difficult or is challenging" (Martin, 2003, p. 46). The stories come from sources of data of three separate research projects: Measurement and Number Sense (Cheeseman, Benz & Pullen, 2018); Investigating Children's Thinking about Measurement Tools (Cheeseman, McDonough & Golemac, 2017); and Investigating Early Concepts of Mass (Cheeseman, McDonough & Ferguson, 2014).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second story is of Thomas, an Australian child of six years old, who I observed playing with suspended balances that were novel to him. The context was a play space in a school setting where researchers were investigating children's spontaneous use of mass equipment (Cheeseman, McDonough, & Golemac, 2017). Pairs of balance scales were set up and objects were laid out for the children to explore uninterrupted.…”

Section: Thomas' Balancingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Young Children are Natural Inquirers: Posing and Solving Mathematical Problems

Cheeseman¹

2019

WJE

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Carefully observing young children at play in a mathematically rich environment has led me to reflect on the way children naturally pose and solve interesting mathematical challenges. Here, three examples of the playful learning of six-year-old children illustrate the problem solving and persistence children can display. Teachers are encouraged to foster children’s problem posing by providing opportunities for children to engage with playful mathematics, planning time for children to pose and to solve their own problems, and watching and listening but intervening only to inspire children’s mathematical investigations.

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Changing Landscapes

Anthony¹

2020

Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2016–2019

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Investigating Children’s Thinking About Suspended Balances

Cited by 4 publications

References 21 publications

Are Physical Experiences with the Balance Model Beneficial for Students’ Algebraic Reasoning? An Evaluation of two Learning Environments for Linear Equations

Are Physical Experiences with the Balance Model Beneficial for Students’ Algebraic Reasoning? An Evaluation of two Learning Environments for Linear Equations

Young Children are Natural Inquirers: Posing and Solving Mathematical Problems

Changing Landscapes

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