Mathematics Education Abstracts of Presentations

Think fast, think slow: algebra learning

Florence Chiang Siu Sia

Why do students make common mistakes even if they do not conspire? Some of the mathematical mistakes students make could be due to common human cognitive biases. One of the project aims is to explain students' mistakes in Algebra learning through the lens of different psychological modes of operations, namely “Think fast” and “Think slow”.

Difficulties and suggestions for learning independent events

Koh Hui Li

This project examines the difficulties in students’ learning of probability concepts related to “Independent Events”. In addition, specific instructional ideas will be offered help students overcome these difficulties.

Use of games in mathematics classroom

Eunice LEONG

In this talk, the rationale and theoretical principles of using games for mathematics teaching and learning, and the underlying principles of assessment will be discussed. Following that, a conceptualization of the use of games for assessing students’ mathematics learning in the Singapore classroom will be discussed.

Enactment project – Qualitative analysis of survey data

Tong Cherng Luen, Dr Quek Khiok Seng & A/P Tay Eng Guan

In this presentation, we will share an exploratory approach we adopted for analysis of data. Our exploration involved 36 Likert scale items that explored teacher actions during mathematics lessons in secondary school. The outcome of which were 4 factors that could possibly further illuminate pedagogy of mathematics teachers in Singapore secondary schools.

Perspectives on mathematics teaching in the US and Singapore schools

Diem H Vuong

The presenter is one of the three recipients of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching fellowship from the United States. During her stint in Singapore, she is conducting an inquiry project on Singapore Mathematics Curriculum and the strategic implementation lesson plans that teachers are successfully engaging students in the secondary mathematics education. The purpose of her project is to improve the quality of mathematical instruction in problem-solving and to close the achievement gap in the students’ mathematical curriculum essential knowledge and skills in Dallas Independent School District. In this session, she will draw on her experiences in the U.S., observations in Singapore schools, and share her perspectives about the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Generalising a numerical linear pattern

Kenan Kok

In this presentation, I will share some generalizing strategies that successful students used to find the far term and functional rule in a numerical linear pattern generalizing task. I will also highlight the consistency of generalizing strategies that these successful students employed in establishing both the far term and functional rule. The implications of these findings will be discussed.

Cognitive processes of mathematical investigation

Dr Joseph Yeo Boon Wooi

I will share from my PhD study some findings of how students think when they attempt open investigative tasks. I will begin with a discussion of the similarities and differences between investigation and problem solving, followed by a model of cognitive processes in mathematical investigation. Then I will focus on some of these processes such as problem posing and conjecturing. In fact, there were some surprises in the empirical data that resulted in me refining the theoretical model.