Traditional versus Investigative Approaches to Teaching Algebra at the Lower Secondary Level: The Case of Equations

Abstrakt

The chapter focuses mainly on the following components of algebraic competence: (a) the ability to understand equality and equations and to apply them in real world problem-solving settings; (b) the ability to think in a symbolic language, to understand algebra as generalized arithmetic, and to understand it as the study of mathematical structures. The main topic discussed is teaching linear equations and their systems.

Klíčová slova

• Algebraic competence
• understanding of equality and equations
• problem solving
• symbolic language
• algebra as generalized arithmetic
• algebra as the study of mathematical structures
• linear equations and their systems